The Gift - Recap

In Madeiro, Mexico, the sheriff, Sanchez, brings a dead man to town on the back of a donkey. He has the telegraph man Rudolpho send a message to the capital describing an unidentified flying object. Sanchez describes how he went to the scene and found footprints. Following them, he heard gunshots and found one of his officers dead. Sanchez fired at a shadowy figure and wounded them. The doctor arrives and warns the sheriff they have to be careful about spreading fear among the villagers. The doctor goes into the tavern and gets a drink from the bartender, Manolo, as he closes up. A small boy who works there, Pedro, enters and Manolo talks about he stargazes. Pedro talks about life on other planets but Manolo sends him to get water. The doctor wonders where he came from but Manolo has no idea: he simply provides him with room and board to help take care of the place.



As the doctor leaves, a man walks up, says his name is Williams, and asks for wine. Pedro offers to get him a glass but Manolo tells him the tavern is closed. The man sits down, weakened, and says that he's ill. Manolo gives him a bottle but the newcomer knocks the bottle to the floor. Manolo sees blood on Williams' hand and tries to run, but the stranger knocks him out and says that he needs to explain to someone. He says that he tried to explain earlier but the officer fired at him. They struggled for the gun and the officer was shot. Williams collapses and the doctor gets him into the back of the tavern in Pedro's room and takes care of him. While Pedro looks after Williams, he recovers consciousness and is surprised that only Pedro accepts him. Pedro says that they're both strangers so he understands. Williams tells Pedro to take a gift, a metal book, from his pocket and hide it. The doctor returns and checks the newcomer's pulse, and notes that it's strong and steady. He prepares to remove the bullet and Williams tells him not to use anesthetic. The doctor reluctantly agrees and goes to work.



Once the surgery is finished, the doctor asks the recovered Manolo for whiskey and notes the stranger has nothing on him except for two bullets in his chest. The doctor insists the newcomer should be dead but he isn't, and tells Pedro to watch over the man. The doctor questions Manolo who admits he told Sanchez where Williams was in return for pay. The doctor leaves, disgusted. In back, Pedro watches over the alien who says that he came to give but all he has done is take. Pedro knows he is from the stars and Williams says that he had a gift to show that he came as a visitor rather than an invader. He asks Pedro's help to get back to his ship and repair it so he can leave, but promises that he or others like him will return.



An officer from the capital arrives to take charge and the doctor advises that Williams is too ill to move. The officer insists on taking the man, a killer, back to the capital. Manolo leads them to the back room past Pedro, but Williams has escaped out the window. The officer has his soldiers surround the town and they soon corner Williams. Williams tells Pedro to give them the gift, saying the doctor will understand, but the villagers burn it out of fear. Pedro approaches Williams who reaches out to him, and a soldier opens fire, killing the alien. As the soldiers get the villagers away, the doctor reads the only thing left of the gift, the opening passage, and tells the others what it was: a cure for cancer.



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