Relic Hunter (1999–2002): Season 2, Episode 7 - Three Rivers to Cross - full transcript

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

Mongols.

Go.

The Jade Empress
will protect us.

LI FENG: The dam
is complete,

The floodgate's closed.

Soon the valley shall
be flooded.

Beijing will be pleased that
there have been no delays.

MONK: Li Feng.

GUARD: Who is this?

A fanatic. No one
of concern.



All religious relics
in the valley
have been relocated.

Now, you must give up
this fantasy

that your statue
can be found.

We cannot leave without
the jade empress.

Open the dam and
release the water.

Do not flood our valley,
I beg you.

LI: This is foolish.

The statue has been
missing for 700 years.

There is no chance it
can be found?

Absolutely not. I stake
my reputation on it.

MONK: We will not
leave the valley.

You will drown.

Brother, the army
will not allow you to stay.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]



[PHONE RINGING]

Ancient studies.

Yeah, yeah.

There's an urgent call for you,

from China.

Hello?

Scootchee?

Dad?

How soon
can you be in Hong Kong?

CLAUDIA: Where's the dam your
father's building again?

Sydney: Three rivers.

Check out this
report on VN24.

REPORTER: As the
floodgates close,

The rising water
has not only disrupted lives

And submerged
long-cherished homes,

Additional military units have
been called in to remove monks

Who claim one of china's
oldest artifacts
will be submerged as well.

Hmm. We'll call you
from the airport.

Okay.

So I'm finally going to
get to meet your dad.

You probably have an image
in your head

of what my father's like,
don't you?

Yeah, I suppose I do.

An engineer who builds
dams all over the world,

Traditional, level-headed,
analytical.

Well, wipe that out.

Think unconventional,
impulsive, non-traditional.

My dad lives
by two rules:

Defy authority and never
be caught dead in a suit.

Sydney.

Dad! Wow!
Nice suit!

You look terrific.
Thanks for coming.

This is my assistant,
Nigel Bailey.

Pleasure to meet you, sir.

Please, call me Randall.
Have a seat.

Meet Mr. Li Feng.

He's the cultural affairs
officer of the region.

He was just telling me
why his government

can't reopen my dam
for a couple of days.

Your father is a very
persuasive man,

but even with your help,

you cannot make the
jade empress reappear.

It does not exist.

You seem very certain of that.

I exhaustively researched sacred
scrolls written centuries ago.

LI: They refer
to a dragon mandala,

the supposed key
to finding the statue.

And?

And I found the mandala,

Translated writings on it,
examined their meanings.

But that lead, like

all others to the statue's
whereabouts, did not bear fruit.

The monks won't leave willingly.
They'll drown.

Colonel Chang has assured me
he can remove them safely.

Li, my daughter
is a relic hunter.

Give us the mandala. Perhaps
there's something you missed.

Regrettably, no.

I have my instructions
from Beijing.

Now, this dam will provide power
for millions of Chinese.

I'm sorry, but...

this is out of my hands.

Li, what's a couple of days?

Randall, enough. I told them
the statue does not exist.

Now, Miss Fox,

Perhaps you can convince
your father to enjoy
his sightseeing

In China's newest city
rather than wasting time

chasing a fairy tale.

You obviously don't know
my father.

Sydney: Let's go.

Randall: Valley's flooding,
lives are at stake,

Li's concerned about
saving face.

What he didn't mention
was a top spot in the
Beijing culture ministry

just opened up and he's in line
for it. Li's a real bureaucrat.

Where are we going?

We're going to
find that mandala.

I guess that means
we're not going to
cut the monks loose either.

Well, I promised them you'd
find their statue for them.

I'm going to keep
my promise.

Uh, Dad!

Call me when you find out.

Randall: That was my contact.
He's going to call very soon.

Nice place, Dad,
very quaint.

Oh, thank you, honey.
Come on in,

No, make yourselves at home.
Come on in.

Nigel, tell me,

How is it working with
my daughter?

You two dating yet?
No.

Dad, Nigel's my assistant.

Randall: Oh, that must
have been the other guy.
What was his name?

Dad...

Robert, Roberto, Javier,
wasn't it?

So Nigel, Sydney tells me
you're an Oxford man.

Working on my masters.

RANDALL: Oh masters,
very impressive.

Not just a pretty face
like the last fellow.

What was his name?

Dad, enough.

Honey, I'm just kidding.

Like always.

Exactly how long do we
have to find the statue?

Well, now that the floodgates
are closed,

Let's see... The dam holds back
about 100,000 liters
of river flow per minute.

The valley should be underwater
in less than three days.

Not a lot, in other words.

Hmmm.

You sure you don't want me to
make a few phone calls?

No, go with the flow.

[PHONE RINGING]

RANDALL: Oh, excuse me.

Fox.

Ah...

Yes, all right.

It was my contact. He said that
after Li examined the mandala,

he gave it back to the dealer
who had it in the first place.

Now, we have a meeting
with that dealer

in a very quiet spot where we're
not going to be interrupted.

[LOUD CROWD NOISES]

A bomb going off wouldn't
interrupt this place.

That must be Fetters.

It's a representation
of the mandala,

around the statue's neck.

And that's the jade empress,

A truly magnificent
piece of jade...

If it exists.

Oh, my contact says
that you have the mandala.

I do.

Great. We'd like to see it.

Are you serious buyers?

Academics.

My contact said...

No, I've had it up to here
with academics.

Sit down, please.

We'll make it worth
your while.

Do you mean Li?

You're looking for the
jade statue right?

-That's right.
-Yeah, so was he.

The mandala's the
key to finding the statue.

He had that mandala
tied up in red tape

for nearly a year
while he studied it.

A year I couldn't sell it.
No way,

I'm not
going through that again.

Why'd you give it to him in the
first place?

He's the cultural officer,
had no choice.

We'd only need it
for a few hours.

Mm-mmm.
In your office.

We'll never
leave the premises.

No red tape.

What's in it for me?

Next time I come across
a good relic,

Maybe I'll slide it
your way.

Sydney Fox.

I only deal in museum quality.

I'll call.

Thank you.

You wouldn't really send him
anything, would you?

RANDALL: Oh, no.

What is it?

Well, it's trouble
is what it is.

Now, look, I've been in
one too many fights.

If I get in one more,
they're will not let
me back in this place.

Fight with who?
Fox.

Now take it easy, Big Sam.

If you think I'm letting
her go without a fight,
You're wrong.

He stole my girl.

Do you know him?

Yeah, that's the boyfriend.
The boyfriend?

Are you going to step outside

or are we going to go
right here, right now?

RANDALL: Now, look, I don't want
any problems with you, Big Sam.

Maybe you should've thought
of that before.

Come on, Fox!

Back in the saddle, cowboy.

Sit down, missy.

Okay, show's over,
Nothing to see here.

Sorry about your trouble.

Thanks, scootchee.

You're welcome, Dad. And
please don't call me scootchee.

It's a little pet name
I have for you, honey.

Yeah, I know,
I was three,

But I'm a grownup now.
Can you call me Sydney?

Yes, I will, Sydney.

Rusty, allow me to pay you
for all this.

Don't you think
we should just go?

Yes.

To be a boyfriend,
you have to have a girlfriend.

Exactly who was
the girlfriend?

Jenny.

Jenny who?

My fiancée.

Your fiancée?

You're not going to believe
who just came to me
looking for the jade empress.

Sydney Fox.

Just thought you'd want to know.

When were you going
to tell me?

You know, I think
I'll make some tea.

Anyone like a cup?

BOTH: No!

But you meant to
before the invitations went out?

Look, Sydney, you're right,
I... I greatly apologize.

I'm just asking you to
give her a chance is all.

Isn't this just a bit sudden?

Well, it wasn't my idea
to get married, certainly.

But you know, when I met
Jenny and I got to know her,

I mean, she was just
the one.

I thought Mom was the one.

Sydney, sit down.
Come on, sit down.

Now, listen, nobody will
ever take your mother's place.

She was one in a million.

Happiest days of my life
was being in Hawaii
with you and your mother,

just the three of us.

That's the truth.

I know you did the
best you could, Dad.

And I loved all those
places you took us to.

Yeah?

I was always so
proud of you.

I just miss her is all.

I guess it never
goes away.

I miss her as well.

There isn't day goes by I don't
think about you and your mother.

Really, that's the truth.

But Sydney,

Jenny's a terrific girl.
Wait until you meet her.

She's smart, she's funny.

You'll see.

Jenny.

Sydney, this is Jenny.

Jenny, this is my
daughter, Sydney.

Hello.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

RANDALL: Oh,
excuse me.

Fox.

Right.

It's time to meet Fetters.

Good.

Oh, and, Jenny?

Be right back. Let's go.

I'm Nigel.

So that's the girl
that's replacing mom.

Oh, now, Sydney...

You're marrying Barbie.

You think maybe this is some
sort of a midlife
crisis thing, dad?

Well, you never even
talked to her.

I didn't know what to say.

What was I going to say?
"Love your shoes?"

Oh, now, I see that
you're upset.

I am not upset.

Am I upset, Nigel?

Just one more
flight, I think.

FETTERS: Hey, hey, hey, hey,
what are you doing? Hey...

[GUN SHOT]

Let's get out
of here.

NIGEL: The mandala.

SYDNEY: And that's Fetters.

We can't afford to lose that
mandala.

Right. We need the
jealous wife.

I'll be the
dutiful assistant.

What?

I'm telling you,
he's not in here.
Mr. Fetters, I'm so sorry.

Where's my weasel
of a husband?
Why are you protecting him?

He's dead.

Why is this suddenly worth
killing for?

The mandala dates from
the original temple monks.

The dragon symbol on it
is closely associated
with the Jade Empress.

Well, we know these are the
symbols of the Chinese zodiac.

But what's this about?

Never conquered. Well,
the monks believed

the mythical power
of the statue
helped keep the temple safe.

Well, actually, it was probably

the natural defense system of
the three rivers
that surrounded it.

Yeah, they'd act like a moat
around a castle.

Any attackers would be sitting
ducks when they tried to cross.

NIGEL: But, for some reason,
during the attacks in 1248,

the temple master ordered
the statue hidden

and the local village and the
temple were sacked. It's odd.

Yeah, why get rid of your most
powerful weapon?

Yeah.

Okay, we know Li looked
for clues
on the outside of the mandala.

But it didn't lead him
to the statue.

Li's a bookworm PhD,
He's never been in the field.

He analyzed it from the outside
and translated like a scholar.

We have to look at this with
different eyes.

A relic hunter's eyes.

Li couldn't look
beyond what he could see.

Well, seems solid.

There are no seams.

It appears to be carved from a
single piece of jade.

What's this?

Whoa.

A dog, a monkey,
and a rat.

Will you look at that?

Looks like a drawing.

NIGEL: Buried for 750 years.

That's the three rivers area.

Three rivers and a temple.

There's a fourth river here.

NIGEL: Dragon symbol.

SYDNEY: On an island
in a fourth river.

I know the river basin
very well,

But I don't recognize this.

What we need is a map.

Coming up.

Could match-up.

Could be on our way
to finding the statue.

Where's the fourth river?

Another dead end.

Maybe not.

Okay, I'm going to
load a program

that we used to develop
plans for the hydro dam.

As you can see here,

this is a map of the
three rivers area
that we're interested in

And how it looks today.

Now, watch.

I'm going to give the computer
some parameters here

And I'm going to ask it to go
back into history,

Look back into the past
and chart this system
based on historical,

geothermal, seismological,
all relative data.

It's amazing.

Yes, it is.

We're watching the computer turn
back the clock of history.

What's that?

That right there
is our mystery river.

How does a river just disappear?

Well, erosion, drought,
a massive earthquake.

A combination of all three could
do it, actually.

And right there is your island.

And with any luck,
there's our statue.

Jenny,

Guess what? We have
a line on the statue.

That's great.

I'm going to fax Li

and have him get Beijing
to reopen the dam
so we can take a better look.

I'll get my things.
Good.

Well, let's not just
stand around,
let's go get that statue.

Colonel Chang, to what do I owe
the honor of a visit
at this late hour?

Because of this missing statue,

our leaders in Beijing
are being portrayed in the

media as monk killers.

The monks are...
Be silent.

We are flooding their lands
based on your final assurance

as cultural officer in charge
that all religious artifacts

were found and relocated
out of the path of the water.

As I recall,
you guaranteed it.

The statue does not exist.

If it is located,
the consequences to you
will be dire.

[FAX MACHINE BEEPING]

LI: "Dear Li,
with this map,

"we're going to find
the Jade Empress.
Stop the water.

"We'll meet you there.
Randall Fox."

Mm-hmm.

Sydney, uh, tells me you're
Randall's translator.

That's right. I've had training
in several different
Chinese dialects.

That's got to be very handy,

especially when
ordering take-out.

You have no idea.

How do they deliver
to a junk?

Very...

BOTH: Carefully.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Hello.

Are you going to
the three rivers area?

I'm looking for the
officer in charge.

I need some information.

As a matter of fact,

We are all going up
to three rivers.

What business
have you there?

To try and convince
the powers that be

to open the dam
and stop the flooding.

I don't believe we've met.

I'm Sydney Fox.

Ah, the relic hunter.

You have an advantage
over me.

Chang,

Military governor of
the three rivers area

and of the dam project.

Then I guess my business
is with you.

So it would seem.

Nigel, did Sydney
say anything to you,

you know, about me
and Randall?

Well, the usual sort of things.
"Hope dad's happy",

Things like that.

It was a bit of a shock.

I mean, any time
a parent tells you

about something
as life-changing as marriage,

especially when it's marriage
to someone like you,

not that there's anything
wrong with you,

Don't get me wrong.
I just meant...

Well, the two of you
are so different.

Like...

Like, he's very tall.
He's very, very tall.

Very, very, very tall.

He certainly is tall, all right.

Not that you're
that short.

I mean, well, it's
all relative, isn't it?

I mean, what is tall?
What is short?

What is small?
What is big?

Full... Full... You're
full of energy and... And...

Well, not that she expected
him to marry anyone boring
and listless.

I mean, he's a very
vibrant man,

More vibrant than anyone
gave him credit for, it seems.

Nigel, I know what
you're saying.

You do?

I know that I'm not
what she expected.

I just don't want
her to hate me.

I'm sure she doesn't
hate you.

I mean, in fact, that I know.

Do you think she'd be open to
having a conversation with me?

I don't think now is
the right time.

But I'm sure there is
a right time and...

And if I were you...

And I'm not...
But if I were you,

I'd, uh, I'd just let her
make the first move.

Yeah.

And she won't be
subtle about it.

In my case, she...

She threw a spear at
my head.

Great conversation starter.

She could've taken my ear
off, it was that close.

Had nightmares about
it and everything.

Thought I was going deaf,
had no ears. What?

Colonel, your government's
going to look awfully bad

if those monks end up dead.

Believe me, I want that
least of anyone.

I believe you're a decent man.
Why don't you just open the dam?

It is beyond my power.

I think you're being
too modest.

Mr. Li has given his report.

It says that the monk statue
does not exist,

Therefore my orders are simple.

The monks' refusal to
leave must be met with

an equally powerful push.

I take it you don't
care much for Mr. Li.

No.

Then that makes two of us.

He is proud and careless.

I've been doing this
a long time, Colonel.

I can find that statue.

I believe you.

You do?

Yes.

But the longer I let
you look for the statue,

the longer the monks
will resist

and the greater the
chance that some may die.

Then stop the flooding.

Perhaps if you already
had the statue...

I don't.

Then I have my orders.

What about the monks, Colonel?

The greatest danger to
the monks now is you.

You give them hope which
encourages their resistance.

What they need now is
to leave.

It's too late.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

This is my stop.

Mine, too.

Colonel?

You might want to keep
your eyes open.

I have a feeling that
statue just might turn up.

It looks like
we're here.

NIGEL: It's not much
of a welcoming committee.

RANDALL: I was hoping
to hear from Li by now,
but we can't wait.

All of these roads
will be underwater very soon.

Speaking of which,
where's our transpo?

The project office said
they'd send someone.

He must've got
held up.

Just one moment.

You promised to find
the Jade Empress.

I know I did.
I'm a man of my word.

There are still others
in the woods.

They will not leave.

No, I understand.
We'll find it, I promise.

[SHOUTING IN CHINESE]

Uh-oh. I wonder
what he's all about.

It can't be good.

Can you make out
what he's saying?

It's Cantonese.
Urgent message.

NIGEL: Restrain? Restrict.

Revoke.

Revoke.

Colonel Chang revoked
Randall's papers.

They have orders to stop us
from going into the valley.

That would explain
our missing driver.

Sydney, where's your dad?

He's right there.

Let's go, let's go!

You're going to get us shot.

You said you wanted transpo.

[SHOUTING]

SYDNEY: This is the closest
spot, Dad, stop here.

Careful, honey.

Okay.

According to the GPS,
ancient riverbed should be
just beyond these trees.

Let's cut right through here.
Come on. Be careful.

Listen.

SYDNEY: That's a
military helicopter.

Think they saw us?

I don't think so.

Well, they may have seen
the truck though.

Let's get going. Come on.

Take that off.

It's red.

Be harder to spot
you from the air.

Thanks.

SYDNEY: Dad, that looks like
something up ahead.

This could be the old riverbed.
That would make this

entire area in here
an island at one time.

The monks would use
their rafts and their boats
to get out to it.

Drop!

Well, as soon as
we get that statue,
they won't be able to touch us.

Over here. There's a
marker of some kind.

The symbols of the
Chinese zodiac.

That's a dragon mandala
with an indentation
in the center.

The mandala must be a key.

No movement.

Nothing.

Well, there must be
another step.

Okay. Symbols
of the Chinese zodiac.

Now, what if we pushed
the same ones as the mandala

as part of the sequence?

That would be the dog,
the rat, and the monkey.

Dog, the rat, and the monkey.

Okay, all at the same time
on the count of three.

Dad, could you push that one?

Yes, sure.

Right there.
On the count of three.

One... two... three.

What else?

The monks hid the statue in
1248, right?

The zodiac encompasses
in each of its symbols

every year since the ancient
Chinese recorded time.

So counting backwards
from now would make 1248

the year of the, uh...

Tiger!

There.

Oh!

Look at that.

Dad, you know how heavy a
jade statue's going to be?

Maybe we should get the
truck a little closer.

Okay. Nigel? Take
the map,

GPS, pull the truck around as
close as you can to that statue.

Go with him.
Go ahead, Jenny.

The statue's in there.
I can feel it.

Let's go get it.

Have you noticed...
No helicopters?

[SPEAKING IN CHINESE]

SYDNEY: Ancient prayer screens.

Looks like an old
mandarin dialect,

a warning of some kind.

"Whoever releases
the Jade Empress
will forever be cursed.

this one says, "To honor
the queen of heaven..."

I can't make out
the rest of it.

"Hang the dragon
around her neck."

Dragon mandala?

Could be.

"Only when the
Mongol danger is passed

"Will the world be safe
for her return."

Well, whoever wrote these
didn't want the empress
out of her cave.

[JENNY SPEAKING IN CHINESE]

There she is.

The Jade Empress.

Wow.

I know a Colonel
that wants to meet you.

At last.

It's surrounded
by a moat of water.

The water isn't reflecting
any light.

Yes.

I can't see the
bottom of this.

Oh, that must be a ground flow
brought on by the valley
filling up with water.

It definitely came from
under here.

Something going on under here.

Good, good.
Now, you sir, in the green.

Yes, excellent,
excellent. Beautiful.

Hey, be careful here, Sydney.

It's just water, right?
What am I afraid of?

LI: So, you found it.

I don't think Beijing's
going to reopen your dam, Dad.

Correct.

You sent those men
to Fetters's office.
You killed him.

I did not mean for
Fetters to be killed,

only to retrieve
the mandala.

You were doing business
with him, then?

No, what I did was not for
something as crass as money.

You did it to keep
us from getting it?

Yes.

You told them they'd
never find the statue.

Now, you're just making sure?

In China, one must
always save face.

You understand then,

I had no choice.

Now,
millions of gallons of water

from your dam
will preserve my secret.

Regrettably,
there can be no witnesses.

No!

Dad!

I'm all right.

Sydney, he's got the gun.

Dad, the mandala.

Put it around her neck.

[SPEAKING IN CHINESE]

It's okay, they're
with us.

What happened down here?

It's a long story.

Dad, are you okay?

Randall.

It's okay. How'd you guys
make out with the Chinese army?

Oh, I told them
that they would have
the extreme honor of

recovering one of china's most
treasured missing relics...

Or we'd pay them
fifty bucks each.

Oh, well, that's
cheap at half the price,

now isn't it?

I think I figured out
why the monks hid the statue.

An inscription
on one of the columns
in the cave gave me the idea.

The statue disappeared
in 1248,

but three years before that,
the beginning of 1245,

the Mongol hordes led
by Genghis Khan

had the three river valley
under siege.

Records say that they
couldn't conquer it

on account of some legendary
force within the temple.

The statue.

At the end of those three years,

Every building in the valley
except the temple had been
reduced to smoking ash.

I think the monks realized that
if they wanted to save
what was left of their world,

They had to stop fighting

and remove the means
of waging war

so they hid the statue and fled.

With the statue gone
and no enemy to fight,

the Khan went home
and peace was returned.

The new cultural affairs
officer just told me the
Jade Empress has a new home,

safe from flood waters
where the monks
are free to worship.

Isn't that great?

Oh, by the way, honey, if
you'll excuse me for a moment...

Nigel, would you come
down to the bar car with me

so you can tell me about your
intentions toward my daughter?

Intentions?

Sydney?

Randall?

Sir?

I think he's leaving
us alone to talk.

Yeah.

You like dim sum?

Yeah. Your father and I like
those little round
coconut sesame seed balls.

Good, because I...
I know a really great place.

It's on
the Kowloon side. It's...

It doesn't look great.
It's kind of a hole. It's...

It's a dive, but
the food's great.
The food's amazing.

So how did you two
meet anyway?

Well, that's a...

That's a long story.

I will tell you about
it some time.

But I probably should
clear it with Randall first.

You can tell me now.

You may not like me anymore.

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]