Demons

STARRING:
Richard Dean Anderson as Colonel Jack O'Neill
Michael Shanks as Dr Daniel Jackson
Amanda Tapping as Captain Samantha Carter
Christopher Judge as Teal'c
Don S Davis as General George Hammond

ALSO STARRING:
David McNalty as Simon
Alan C. Peterson as Canon
Laura Mennell as MaryRichard Morwich as Unas
John R. Taylor as Elder

Christopher Judge as Unas (voice)

TEASER FADE IN

EXT - PLANET, STARGATE CLEARING (DAY)

SG1 step out of the STARGATE onto a foreign world. The STARGATE closes behind them

O’NEILL : Ah trees, trees and more trees. What a wonderfully green universe we live in eh? Where’s that village?

CARTER : The UAV found it eleven klicks Southwest of here.

O’NEILL : Eleven?

TEAL’C discovers a muddied track.

TEAL’C : Here. This path is well travelled.

DANIEL : Which means the STARGATE is still in use by someone.

O’NEILL : Or…something.

They head out into the countryside, following the path.

EXT - WOODS (DAY)

CARTER sees a building in the next valley.

CARTER : The UAV photos were right, there it is. Looks like a church.

O’NEILL : And that would mean what?

TEAL’C : That it is most likely Christians reside here.

O’NEILL : Thank you TEAL’C. C

ARTER : Well, this is the first sign of Christianity we’ve encountered, Sir, in hundreds of missions.

DANIEL : Which means they probably had to have been taken from somewhere in medieval Europe through the Antarctic gate.

TEAL’C : By which Goa’uld?

DANIEL : That’s a good question.

They head down into the valley towards the village.

DANIEL (cont’d) : Most Goa’uld that we’ve encountered that have enslaved ancient human populations have taken on the roles of those cultures’ deities. RA, APOPHIS, HATHOR from the Egyptian pantheon…

O’NEILL : Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got it.

DANIEL : Well, if these people were already Christians when they were taken from Earth, that suggests this Goa’uld is…is playing…

O’NEILL : God? As in GOD God? It’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?

TEAL’C : I know of no Goa’uld capable of showing the necessary compassion or benevolence that I have read of in your Bible.

O’NEILL : You read the Bible, TEAL’C?

TEAL’C : It is a significant part of your Western culture. Have you not read the Bible O’NEILL?

O’NEILL : Oh yeah, yeah, not all of it. Actually, I’m listening to it on tape. Don’t tell me how it ends.

EXT - VILLAGE (DAY)

SG1 enters what appears to be a medieval village. When it’s inhabitants see SG1 they run into their houses. DANIEL approaches one house whose door is still open. A woman and her children are looking out.

DANIEL : Hello? We’re not going to hurt you.

The woman slams the door in his face.

DANIEL : We’re peaceful travellers.

O’NEILL : They’re not buying it Danny.

He finds a stone pedestal with the symbol of a cross and writing on it.

O’NEILL : Is this English?

DANIEL : Middle English, pre-Chaucer. ‘Show mercy to those who are about to be delivered unto the devil.’. It’s a…a derivative of the Catholic prayer for Suffering Souls.

O’NEILL then catches sight of a young woman chained to a post in the middle of the Village Square.

END OF TEASER EXT - VILLAGE (DAY)

SG1 hurry over to the woman, who is frightened by their presence.

O’NEILL (to the woman) : It’s alright. It’s alright. We’ll get you out of this in a minute. A man appears from a nearby house, holding a cross before him.

MAN : Spare her please!

DANIEL : Oh, we’re not going to hurt her. Or you. We’re friends. I’m DANIEL.

MAN : I am SIMON. You have come through the Circle of Darkness?

CARTER : The STARGATE? Yes.

SIMON : Then you must be of his brethren. I beg of you, MARY is so young. She did nothing to warrant Sacrifice.

O’NEILL : Whoa. What sacrifice?

SIMON : If you leave her body, the village CANON may choose another possessed soul.

DANIEL : You think we’re demons. (To O’NEILL) He…thinks we’re demons.

O’NEILL : Uh-huh. (To SIMON) Well, we’re not demons. We’re human, like you. From Earth, like you.

DANIEL (To SIMON) : Do other demons come through the Circle?

SIMON : You know he does.

DANIEL : Uh, no, we don’t know anything about him, but we’d like to. What does he look like?

SIMON : Mostly he comes in his true form. But demons can take many shapes.

He looks over at TEAL’C, who is examining the chains holding MARY.

TEAL’C : Major CARTER. Shield her eyes.

CARTER leans over to cover MARY’S face. TEAL’C shoots the chain with his staff weapon.

SIMON (To MARY) : Go into the house! Quickly!

MARY runs away into the house. SIMON falls to his knees before O’NEILL.

SIMON : Leave her body, please.

O’NEILL : Come on, get up.

SIMON : Take me in her place!

O’NEILL : Look, stop that, will ya? Come on. Let’s go, come on.

He pulls SIMON to his feet.

O’NEILL : Listen to me. We’re not demons. And MARY is not possessed. From the looks of it, she’s a little sick. If you let us, we might be able to help.

SIMON nods and leads them to his house.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (DAY)

MARY is lying in a bed, SIMON sitting at her side, while CARTER checks her temperature.

O’NEILL : Chickenpox. Trust me.

CARTER : Her fever’s pretty high.

O’NEILL : It’ll break. (To MARY) Those spots will get itchy, but that’s about as bad as it’ll get. You’ll be fine in a couple of days.

SIMON : That won’t be soon enough. The time of Sacrifice is at hand. The elders will have to perform the trepanning ritual tonight to cleanse her.

DANIEL : Oh jeez.

O’NEILL : What?

DANIEL : It was a procedure often done in the Middle Ages. They…well they drill a hole in the person’s head. By drilling a hole, the evil spirits are released, thus saving the person from eternal damnation.

O’NEILL : Thus…saving the person?

DANIEL : Well, they didn’t call them the Dark Ages because it was dark.

Outside, they hear the sound of a horn.

SIMON takes his cross and starts to pray over MARY, who is clearly frightened.

SIMON (praying) : My Jesus, let the sorrows you suffered…

VILLAGER (outside) : (Peter DeLouise Alert! ;))The demon comes!

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (DAY)

VILLAGER : The demon comes!

He runs away as an Unas enters the village.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (DAY)

O’NEILL : The demon comes?

SG1 go over to the windows and look out.

O’NEILL sees the Unas enter the Village Square.

O’NEILL : Damn. Unas?

TEAL’C : You are correct O’NEILL. The first host of the Goa’uld.

O’NEILL : No, no, no…we killed him, he’s dead.

TEAL’C : We only killed one Unas.

O’NEILL : I thought there only was one. Unas, uno…one.

TEAL’C : They are in fact a species.

The Unas examines the area when MARY was chained. He addresses the village.

UNAS (outside) : The time of Sacrifice is at hand. My lord Satan calls for five wretched souls to reclaim as his.

O’NEILL : Satan?

TEAL’C : SOKAR.

CARTER : Gathering host bodies.

UNAS (outside) : At sunrise shall I return to claim the five. If you have not chosen, I shall take whom I please in far greater numbers.

DANIEL : I think we were wrong about this Goa’uld. He isn’t playing God. He’s playing the devil.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (DAY)

SIMON rises from MARY’S bedside.

SIMON : The time is at hand.

MARY : No! No, no!

SIMON takes out a package and begins to unwrap it.

O’NEILL : SIMON.

SIMON : CANON will return from his hermitage soon.

O’NEILL : The creature that just sauntered through your village is called an Unas.

SIMON ignores him and continues to unwrap the package.

SIMON : The time of Sacrifice has been declared. I feared it would be…

O’NEILL : SIMON! Listen to me.

SIMON pauses and climbs to his feet to face O’NEILL.

O’NEILL : Look, we’ve run into this kind of thing before. Now, it’s not a demon. It’s demonesque I’ll grant you, but it’s just a big, ugly creature.

DANIEL (quietly, to O’NEILL) : Who’s inhabited by a Goa’uld that gives it great strength, intelligence and the ability to regenerate.

O’NEILL : Yes. It’s a very smart, resilient creature.

DANIEL (quietly) : In the service of SOKAR, who, for all intents and purposes, is Satan to these people.

O’NEILL : But it’s not a demon.

DANIEL (to SIMON) : No, it’s not a demon.

TEAL’C : My friends speak the truth, SIMON. This demon is nothing more than a parasite that inhabits another creature. Your fear is its greatest power over you.

SIMON : You do not fear it?

TEAL’C : We do not.

SIMON looks over the weapons they carry.

SIMON : You say you have killed an Unas once before?

TEAL’C : Indeed.

SIMON : Then perhaps God has sent you. Perhaps you are the answer to our prayers. All my life I have asked God to deliver us from this evil.

O’NEILL : So what did the lizard say? That he’d be back at sunrise?

TEAL’C : Are you contemplating attack O’NEILL?

O’NEILL : Yeah, sure, why not.

TEAL’C : An Unas is difficult to destroy.

O’NEILL : Couple of shots with a staff, we own him.

CARTER : We hope. It took Thor’s Hammer to kill the last one.

O’NEILL : Alright, a whole bunch of shots with a staff. DANIEL, how long have these people been living like this?

DANIEL : Well, I can’t be sure without proper reference…

O’NEILL (cutting him off) : A thousand years?

DANIEL : At least.

O’NEILL : That’s long enough. These people are being terrorised. We have the power to stop it.

TEAL’C : SOKAR will seek revenge.

O’NEILL : Alright, so we’ll have them bury the Gate after we’ve gone.

DANIEL : They could come in ships.

O’NEILL : Ships?

CARTER : I can’t be sure, but the co-ordinates of this planet are years away from any known Goa’uld Homeworld, even with their faster ships.

O’NEILL : SIMON? Do you want us to do this?

SIMON : Are we not in God’s hands?

Outside, the church bell is rung.

SIMON : The CANON has returned.

EXT - VILLAGE (DAY)

The CANON enters the village, surrounded by guards armed with pitchforks. He is greeted by the villagers as he enters the square.

SIMON (to O’NEILL) : The CANON will choose those for Sacrifice tonight.

O’NEILL : Why does he get to choose?

SIMON : He is our spiritual leader. It falls to him to determine those of us whose souls are already possessed with evil.

The villagers point out SG1 to the CANON, who approaches them

CANON (To SG1) : You have come down the path, through the Circle of Darkness?

O’NEILL : Something like that. My name’s Jack O’NEILL…

CANON (angrily, to SIMON) : And you gave them entrance to your home?

SIMON : Yes, but I do not believe they mean us harm.

CANON : The tricks of Satan and his minions are many. And only those weak of faith are fooled by such deception. By granting them entrance, you have spilled the blood of your people!

DANIEL (to the CANON) : We come as friends, Sir.

The CANON approaches TEAL’C and examines his gold tattoo.

CANON : This one! There’s the mark of the devil! (To SG1) If you are human as you say, then your souls are damned…

O’NEILL (to the CANON) : Alright, that’s enough. He is not a demon, he is a Jaffa. Satan is not involved here. (To the gathered villagers) That creature that strolled through your village a little while ago? It’s called an Unas. We have the power to stop it. That means no more Sacrifices. All you have to do is give us a chance to help. What do you say?

CANON (to his people) : If they came through the Circle of Darkness, then they’re souls are unclean!

TEAL’C : It appears they do not desire our assistance O’NEILL.

O’NEILL : Yeah, fine, whatever. (To the CANON) Have a nice day.

He starts to walk away.

CANON : You shall be struck down!

The CANON touches his ring, activating it.

SIMON : No, no CANON.

Storms clouds gather in the sky and thunder can be heard. SIMON cringes away from the CANON, who presses the centre stone on his ring. A bolt of lightning comes out of the sky and strikes the ground where SG1 are standing. They are all knocked unconscious by the blast.

INT - CELL, VILLAGE (DAY)

CARTER, lying on straw, regains consciousness to see O’NEILL chewing on a grass stalk.

CARTER : Sir, I’ve been disarmed.

O’NEILL : Yeah, I picked up on that too. TEAL’C’S gone.

CARTER looks round as DANIEL wakes up.

DANIEL : Did we just get struck by a big bolt of…lightning?

CARTER : That’s what it looked like. Felt more like a zat blast to me. He…touched his ring just before the lightning started.

O’NEILL : CARTER, if I ever get the urge to help anybody again, feel free to give me a swift kick.

CARTER sees SIMON approach their cell.

SIMON : I do not believe you are demons. I’ve said as much to the CANON, but he refuses to hear me.

O’NEILL : Where’s our friend?

SIMON : It has been decided he must endure the tests.

O’NEILL : What tests?

They are interrupted by shouts from the villagers. They are calling for TEAL’C to be burned at the stake. TEAL’C is brought into the square by two guards and tied to a post. His face is bloodied and beaten. The villagers gather to watch the trial.

CANON (to TEAL’C) : What have you to say for yourself?

TEAL’C : That I do not serve those whom you would call demon.

CANON (to the villagers) : There are living among us demons…

O’NEILL (quietly) : TEAL’C.

SIMON (To O’NEILL) : Say nothing more, or they will kill him.

CANON (cont’d) : For this reason, we are commanded by God to seek out those spirits and punish them!

He turns to the blacksmith who is stoking a glowing furnace.

DANIEL : The mark of the devil.

O’NEILL : What?

DANIEL : Uh, in the Middle Ages one of the proofs of witchcraft was a mark on the body supposedly made by the devil himself that was insensitive to pain.

The blacksmith hands the CANON a glowing metal poker, who places it against TEAL’C’S gold tattoo. TEAL’C doesn’t react, feeling no pain.

CANON : The first proof is given!

O’NEILL : DANIEL?

DANIEL : It’s not good.

EXT - LAKE SHORE (DAY)

SG1 are led along the shore of a lake, the villagers following. TEAL’C is led out onto a jetty, where a large rock is chained to his leg.

CANON : And they went up on the breath of the Earth. And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them.

DANIEL : The water test.

O’NEILL : What?

DANIEL : Common practice in the Middle Ages. They weighed a person and threw them in the water. If he sinks, he’s innocent.

CARTER : If he floats, he’s guilty of witchcraft and burned at the stake. It’s Catch22.

A black hood is placed over TEAL’C’S head.

CANON : Archangel, Saint Michael, defend us in battle. Thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl upon the Earth. Amen.

The CANON nods and the guards prepare to push TEAL’C into the lake.

DANIEL : We’ll go back where we came from!

CARTER : (Verge of tears) He’s innocent!

O’NEILL (starting forward) : You sons of…!

One of the guards strike him across the face, knocking him to his knees. TEAL’C is pushed into the water. DANIEL, CARTER and O’NEILL can only tearfully watch. Bubbles rise from the water, but there’s no sign of TEAL’C. The CANON prays quietly, then holds out his hand over the water.

CANON : God’s will…has been done.

SIMON, standing in the crowd, bows his head. The CANON and his guards walk away.

INT - CELL, VILLAGE (NIGHT)

TEAL’C’S body is lying on an altar, while nuns pray silently over him. From their prison cell, O’NEILL, CARTER and DANIEL watch. The CANON approaches their cell.

CANON : Your friend’s soul is clean. If you wish he’ll be given a Christian burial.

O’NEILL : What?

CANON : You’re free to go. I insist only that you remain in chains until your return through the Circle of Darkness, to whatever dark place you reside and that you never return.

O’NEILL : Because you know if I did return I’d break your damn neck. But of course you could just touch that lovely ring of yours and we’d all be struck down again.

CANON : Ah the ring. It has been handed down through generations of village canons who came before me.

DANIEL : And with it you maintain power.

CANON : With it I abide by God’s will, as best I can. Sacrifices must be made.

DANIEL : Why?

CANON : Do you deny the demon is real? Do you deny that it could destroy us if it so wished?

DANIEL has no reply to that and looks away.

CANON (cont’d) : The Sacrifices allowed the people of this village to survive for generations. Just as the wheat is separated from the chaff, the unclean souls among us must be taken away, through the Circle of Darkness. Forever.

O’NEILL : And you decide.

CANON : Yes I do. Now go thy way. Trouble me no more.

As he leaves, SIMON approaches their cell.

SIMON : I am sorry.

O’NEILL : You know SIMON, your village CANON has an awfully interesting way of tending the flock.

SIMON : Speak no more of this.

DANIEL : He maintains power by controlling who gets Sacrificed and who doesn’t.

SIMON : No more! I have asked for this dispensation and he has granted it.

He unlocks their cell and they head over to the altar, still in chains.

O’NEILL (to SIMON) : Where’s our gear?

SIMON : If I were to bring it to you, would you help us?

O’NEILL : Help you?

CARTER : You can bury the STARGATE after we’ve gone through. That should prevent the Unas and anything else from…

SIMON : I cannot do that!

DANIEL : Well there must be other people who are willing…

SIMON : I mean the Circle. We are not allowed to go near it, or even look upon it.

A villager, holding a lantern, calls to SIMON.

VILLAGER : SIMON? We are ready.

SIMON : I shall be there.

DANIEL : Ready? Ready for what?

SIMON : The trepanning ritual. MARY’S parents were taken in a Sacrifice a year ago. They asked that I care for her. If you’re not willing to help, it falls to me to try to cleanse her soul before the CANON chooses.

DANIEL : You can’t do that.

SIMON : I have no choice.

DANIEL : You’ll kill her.

SIMON : Better that she die among us than at the hands of the devil himself.

He leaves.

DANIEL : Jack.

O’NEILL : No.

DANIEL : We can’t condemn a young girl just because one man has made a pact with the devil. TEAL’C will have died for nothing if nothing good comes from this.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (NIGHT)

SIMON enters the house where MARY is still sick, tended by another villager. SIMON crosses (Catholic sign of the cross) himself, then approaches her bedside.

SIMON (To MARY) : There shall be a great reward waiting for you in Heaven and the angels will welcome you with joyful hearts. And there will be no more pain.

MARY : I know.

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (NIGHT)

DANIEL : Ok, I’ll tell you what. You guys start back without me. I’m just going to go see if I can stop these people from a drilling a hole in the head of a young girl.

He heads towards SIMON’S house. O’NEILL glances at CARTER, before following after DANIEL.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (NIGHT)

SIMON unwraps the package once more and takes out a hand drill. The villager holds MARY’S head still as he prepares to use it. DANIEL enters the house.

DANIEL : Wait!

SIMON lowers the drill.

DANIEL : We’ll take you back with us. MARY too. Where we come from, there are no demons.

SIMON nods gratefully.

O’NEILL and CARTER enter the house. O’NEILL holds out his hand for the drill and SIMON hands it to him.

O’NEILL : Good choice.

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (NIGHT)

The nuns are anointing TEAL’C’S body (With oil) in preparation for burial. A shroud is placed over his face and body and the nuns kneel down to pray.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (NIGHT)

CARTER is checking MARY’S temperature once more.

CARTER : Fever’s down. Feeling any better?

MARY : Yes. Have you released that which possessed me?

CARTER : You got better all by yourself MARY. There was never a demon inside you.

O’NEILL lifts his chains.

O’NEILL : So SIMON. You wouldn’t happen to have the keys to these would you? (To the villager) Keys?

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (NIGHT)

One of the nuns praying over TEAL’C glances up as he moves, but resumes praying when none of the other nuns appear to notice. Suddenly, TEAL’C sits up and the nuns scream and run away. TEAL’C opens his eyes and removes the shroud covering his face.

INT - SIMON’S HOUSE, VILLAGE (NIGHT)

When they hear the screams, SG1 head outside, along with SIMON.

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (NIGHT)

O’NEILL : What’s that?

SIMON : I don’t know.

TEAL’C comes walking towards them, pulling on his jacket.

DANIEL : TEAL’C. You’re alive.

TEAL’C : It is so.

O’NEILL realises what must have happened.

O’NEILL (to TEAL’C’S stomach) : Way to go Junior!

TEAL’C : My symbiote did sustain me.

CARTER : Oxygen in the water. It’s the larval Goa’uld’s natural environment. It must have filtered the oxygen and fed it into TEAL’C. You were out for a long time TEAL’C. I thought we’d lost you.

TEAL’C : When I realised they planned to immerse me, I put myself in a deep state of Kel’no’reem.

The villagers have gathered and are looking on.

O’NEILL : You think these folks never saw a guy rise from the dead.

CARTER (to a stunned SIMON) : SIMON. I know this must look…unusual. But there is actually a very logical explanation for this.

CANON : Yes there is!

The CANON enters the square with his guards.

CANON : There can be no doubt now. They are evil. All of them.

O’NEILL (to the CANON) : What do you want from us? He passed your test.

CANON : These four shall be the first chosen for Sacrifice.

O’NEILL : Major, next time DANIEL gets the urge to help someone, shoot him.

They are surrounded by the CANON’S guards.

CANON : And with them shall be taken the woman whose soul has been possessed.

Two more guards enter SIMON’S house.

SIMON (to the CANON) : Please! Spare her. At least allow me to try the trepanning.

CANON : You challenge my decision?

SIMON : No.

MARY is dragged from the house by the guards.

MARY : SIMON! SIMON, please help me! SIMON.

CANON (to the villagers) : To your homes! Do not let the demon lay his eyes upon you.

SG1 and MARY are chained to the posts in the Village Square.

SIMON : I am sorry MARY.

O’NEILL : Don’t apologise to her. Help her!

SIMON : The CANON has spoken.

O’NEILL : What are you, the village idiot?

DANIEL (to SIMON) : The demon will turn her into a host. You know what that means. Course you don’t know what that means.

SIMON : I can hear no more of this.

He returns to his house.

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (DAY)

As the sun rises, SG1 are still chained up, waiting for the Unas’ return. DANIEL sees SIMON lurking in the doorway to his house, watching them.

DANIEL : Jack.

O’NEILL : SIMON, get out here and do something!

SIMON doesn’t move.

DANIEL (to O’NEILL) : I don’t think anything we say is going to make a difference, especially not after TEAL’C’S…resurrection.

A horn is sounded and the Unas enters the Village Square.

O’NEILL (To the UNAS) : Mornin’.

The Unas ignores him and starts to unhook their chains from the posts.

O’NEILL (To the UNAS) : So…how long you gonna keep this up? The demon bit? Don’t get me wrong, looks like a great gig. You got the padre` in your back pocket, the hours are good, probably get all the chicks…ahh!

He is cut off as the Unas grabs him by the throat and lifts him into the air, before letting him drop.

VILLAGER (to SIMON) : If they truly are servants of Satan, why does he resist.

UNAS (to O’NEILL) : You are not of this world.

O’NEILL (lying on the ground) : No, no we’re not. Unas? What does SOKAR have on you that makes you so dang cranky?

The Unas pulls on the chain that links the prisoners together and jerks him to his feet. He leads them out of the village.

EXT - RIDGE (DAY)

SG1, along with MARY, are led by the Unas along the top of a ridge. O’NEILL glances down the slope and silently signals to the others to be ready to move.

DANIEL (quietly) : MARY, we’re gonna take a little tumble, so just scrunch up in a ball and roll with the rest of us.

O’NEILL nods to the others and they dive down the slope, rolling all the way to the bottom. The end of the chain is jerked out of the Unas’ grasp, who roars in anger and starts after them.

O’NEILL : Go! Go!

MARY, at the front of the chain, leads them through the woods.

EXT - VILLAGE SQUARE (DAY)

SIMON approaches the CANON.

CANON : SIMON! You’ve always been quick to ask questions. This weakness shall be your doom. If you persist, I shall be unable to defend you when the next Sacrifice is called.

As he wanders off, SIMON leaves.

EXT - WOODS (DAY)

SG1 and MARY are still running through the woods. They are brought to a halt as the Unas steps on the trailing chain.

UNAS : You cannot escape me.

SIMON appears, with SG1’s gear and TEAL’C’S staff weapon.

SIMON (to the Unas) : Leave them!

UNAS : You dare to challenge me?

O’NEILL (to SIMON) : Shoot it!

UNAS (to SIMON) : You shall join them in hell.

The Unas drives the end of the chain into the tree, preventing SG1 and MARY from escaping.

MARY : SIMON!

UNAS (to SG1) : You will remain here until I finish with this one.

He heads towards SIMON.

O’NEILL (to SIMON) : Shoot it!

MARY : SIMON!

O’NEILL : Shoot!

SIMON fires TEAL’C’S staff weapon and strikes the Unas in the chest. Green blood appears from the wound.

O’NEILL : Again!

SIMON fires again, but the Unas keeps coming until he is right before SIMON.

O’NEILL (to SIMON) : Shoot!

SIMON shoots the Unas at point blank range, but still fails to kill it.

UNAS : For this you will pay with your life.

The Unas knocks away the staff and backhands SIMON, sending him flying across the clearing.

MARY : SIMON!

SIMON gets to his feet and runs away, the Unas following. O’NEILL sees TEAL’C’S discarded staff weapon.

O’NEILL : MARY, the staff.

They stretch out the length of chain allowing MARY to reach for the staff. She finally manages to get hold of it and passes it to TEAL’C.

TEAL’C : O’NEILL.

O’NEILL shields his eyes as TEAL’C shoots the chain holding them to the tree.

EXT - WOODS (DAY)

The injured Unas is still tracking SIMON. It pauses and roars in fury. SIMON hears it and continues to run for his life.

EXT - WOODS (DAY)

TEAL’C shoots the length of chain holding O’NEILL, releasing him. The others have already been freed.

O’NEILL : CARTER, DANIEL, head toward the Gate. Take MARY with you.

CARTER : Yes Sir.

They help MARY away.

O’NEILL (to TEAL’C) : Shall we?

They head off after the Unas.

EXT - CLEARING (DAY)

SIMON pauses to lean against a large rock, attempting to catch his breath. The CANON comes round the rock and grabs him.

CANON : SIMON! SIMON! What have you done?

SIMON : The demon comes. Release me.

They look up in fear as the Unas approaches them. SIMON puts himself in front of the CANON.

EXT - WOODS (DAY)

O’NEILL and TEAL’C are hurrying through the woods, attempting to catch up with SIMON and the Unas.

EXT - CLEARING (DAY)

UNAS (to SIMON) : Your God has abandoned you.

SIMON faces the Unas.

SIMON : My GOD is with me always.

The Unas hits him and knocks him out, then goes after the CANON.

EXT - CLEARING (DAY)

O’NEILL and TEAL’C enter the clearing to find the Unas apparently dead and the CANON crouched over SIMON’S unconscious body. TEAL’C runs over to make sure that the Unas really is dead, while O’NEILL checks SIMON.

O’NEILL : He’s alright. (To the CANON) What happened?

CANON : SIMON…stood before it like…like David before Goliath. The demon threw him aside and then he fell. As you can see.

TEAL’C holds his hand over the Unas’ mouth, but feels no breath.

CANON : It was a miracle.

TEAL’C : The Unas’ wounds were too severe. Even the Goa’uld within him could not save him.

O’NEILL (To the CANON) : So, not a demon.

CANON : As you say. You’ve opened my eyes. Bless you.

O’NEILL : Yeah, well. Let’s have the ring.

CANON : Yes. Of course.

As he tosses the ring to O’NEILL, SIMON wakes up.

SIMON : I’m alive?

TEAL’C : SOKAR will be awaiting the return of the Unas. He will send others.

O’NEILL (to SIMON) : Which is why you’ve got to bury the Circle of Darkness after we’ve gone through. Can you walk?

They help SIMON to his feet and leave the clearing.

EXT - STARGATE CLEARING (DAY)

DANIEL, CARTER and MARY are waiting by the STARGATE as O’NEILL, TEAL’C, SIMON and the CANON approach.

MARY : SIMON!

She runs over to him and they hug.

MARY : I knew you would come. Are you hurt?

SIMON : I will be fine.

DANIEL : What happened?

CANON : The beast…is dead. Had I not witnessed it myself, I would not have believed it. Thank you…all, for showing me the way.

O’NEILL : You’re welcome. Major, dial us home.

CARTER starts to dial Earth, but pauses after the first chevron is lit.

O’NEILL : CARTER?

She looks at the CANON.

CARTER : It went into him.

SIMON : What went into him?

The CANON starts to move forward and TEAL’C aims his staff weapon.

TEAL’C : Go no further!

CANON : Why? I have done nothing. (To SIMON and MARY) My children…

O’NEILL (To CARTER) : Are you sure?

CARTER : Positive, Sir. I can sense it. The Unas host was dying, it had no where else to go. It went into him.

The CANON’S eyes light up and he lunges at them. O’NEILL shoots him with his sidearm and the CANON falls backwards. SIMON kneels at his side.

CANON : Forgive me.

After a moment, he dies.

SIMON (praying) : By the sorrows he suffered, in your agony in the garden, they scourged and crowned him with thorns. (traces a cross on the canon's forehead)

DANIEL : The prayer for Suffering Souls.

SIMON (cont’d) : In your crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls. Deliver them from the dire torments they endure and admit them to your most sweet embrace in Paradise.

MARY crosses herself.

SIMON : Now the demon is truly gone.

O’NEILL : Major?

CARTER nods and heads back to the DHD to dial home.

O’NEILL (To SIMON and MARY) : You know what to do?

MARY : Yes. We will do what you say.

SIMON : We will bury the Gate. Immediately. And there will be no more Sacrifices.

O’NEILL : Thank God.

CARTER presses the centre stone and STARGATE opens. She sends the GDO signal back to Earth and SG1 step through the STARGATE, leaving SIMON and MARY in the clearing.

FADE OUT

THE END