"Sincro: wyxchari" "We have been waiting for this momentous visit for so many years." "You are the man who brought Paradise Towers to life." "The visionary who dreamed up its pools and lift and squares." "And now you have returned to your creation." "You will make all those dilapidated lifts rise and fall as they've never done before." "All signs of wallscrawl will disappear from the corridors of Paradise Towers." "The floor will gleam, the windows will shine and all will be made as new." "Fellow Caretakers, d'you know who this is." "This is the Great Architect returned to Paradise Towers." "Bid him welcome." "All Hail the Great Architect, all hail." "All hail the great architect." "What shall we do with him now then, Chief?" "Kill him." "Wait a minute!" "Listen." "Why?" "Well I'm not the great architect." "I'm the Doctor." "Oh the Doctor now is it?" "He always was an artful one the Great Architect." "Make the preparations will you, Deputy." "Very good, Chief." "Well you can't condemn me without trial, without evidence, without proof." "I mean, I don't even know who this Great Architect is." "The 327 appendix 3 Subsection 9 Death I think." "32..." "Very good, Chief." "Oh that would happen just now." "Yes?" "Oh dear, oh dear." "Poor Caretaker Number 345 stroke 12 Subsection 3." "What, now?" "Yes, alright, alright." "There's no need to quote the rule book at me," "Caretaker Number 579 Stroke 14 Subsection 8." "I'll come." "Anything the matter?" "Nothing that isn't under control." "Thank you, Great Architect." "An unfortunate accident has happened to Caretaker Number 345." "I am required by the rulebook to go and investigate it." "The 327 appendix 3 Subsection 9 Death will be postponed until I return." "In the meantime you will guard the Great Architect here with your lives." "D'you understand?" "Yes, Chief, no problem." "Mel?" "What is it now?" "Mel." "Watch this." "Oh go on." "Please?" "I'm in a hurry you know that." "And that ceremony in the square gave me the creeps." "It won't take a moment." "...Well?" "I'm a finely tuned fighting machine." "I work out everyday..." "Pex!" "Practice martial arts..." "Pex!" "Run the length of 70..." "Pex." "If you could bend that back into shape and put it where it came from, it might be more use but you can't can you." "Well, that's not my job." "I'm Pex." "I know and you're here to put the world of Paradise Towers to rights." "Well go on." "I've got to find my friend and I can't waste anymore time." "Mel?" "Build High for Happiness." "Build High for Happiness." "All sound and safe?" "The un-young Doctor and the girl who isn't a Kang are lost for now." "And No Exit?" "No Exit's not here." "Where is she?" "Was on Talky-Phone 3 before Caretakers attacked." "Not now?" "Mayhaps No Exit's returned to Red Kang Brain-quarters." "Mayhaps or...?" "Or..?" "No Exit's unalive." "Taken to the cleaners?" "Yes, taken to the cleaners." "Shall I tell you what puzzles me most." "Those cleaners that we had so much trouble with." "Well presumably they're part of the organisation of Paradise Towers like your Caretakers." "So why should they attack you." "And another thing." "I don't know why you're so keen to kill off the Great Architect." "I thought you'd be delighted to have him here to put things to right." "It doesn't make sense." "Well does it?" "I'd hate to have to live my life by some boring old rulebook like you do." "You must get fed up?" "Well do you?" "No." "Never?" "Never." "I suppose how you guard me is in that rulebook." "Yes!" "Rule 45B Stroke 2 Subsection 5." "I wouldn't mind having a look at that rulebook if that's not against the rules." "I mean after all, I am a condemned man." "Erm..." "Yes, we can count that as your last request." "You're entitled to one if you're to undergo a 327 Appendix 3 Subsection 9 Death." "Not a pretty way to go." "How extraordinary." "No, no." "It can't be true." "What's that?" "Oh no, no." "It's..." "You couldn't possibly." "If it's there, it's true." "Rules are rules." "Orders are orders." "If you say so." "I don't want to make a fool of you." "Read out what it says!" "Oh very well but I find it hard to credit..." "Read it!" "It says here about a 327 Appendix 3 Subsection 9 Death, that after you've been guarding the condemned prisoner for 35 minutes, you must all stand up." "But if we..." "Yes, yes, I find it extraordinary." "I don't really expect you to do it." "But it is in there." "The Caretakers present must then move 5 paces away from the prisoner." "Five." "Close their eyes and put their hands above their head." "How long do we do this for?" "For about a minute and a half." "You see that's how long the prisoner needs." "To do what?" "Find the key card to the door and escape." "Sorry?" "Find the key card to the door and escape." "Rules should always make sense." "Why should we allow a prisoner...?" "Doctor?" "DOCTOR?" "Mel?" "Mel?" "Mel?" "Oh no." "We're back at the square again." "I've been trying to confuse anyone who might be following us." "It's part of the training." "Does your training include confusing yourself at the same time." "I'm not confused." "So you know where to go next to get up to the pool then." "Of course." "Well then." "We go that way." "You sure." "Of course I'm sure." "Pex, can I ask you something why are here?" "What?" "Why are here?" "What d'you mean?" "Well there's nothing else like you here, is there." "You can say that again." "Shall I show you how...?" "Ah!" "No!" "I think you've wrecked quite enough for one day." "Tabby and Tilda talked about a war." "They said that only the Oldsters and the Youngster were brought to the Paradise Towers and the rest, well the In-betweens, were sent off to fight and never came back." "So how does it happen that you're here?" "Isn't it obvious?" "No, it isn't obvious at all." "Pex." "You say you want to help me get up to the pool and find my friend the Doctor, so I have to know." "I was sent here." "The power to protect has been invested in me." "Who by?" "By those I am not allowed to name." "And that's the truth?" "Really, the truth?" "Then I have to believe you." "It can't be safe hanging around in this square any longer." "You're in no danger with me around." "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure." "Come on." "We go this way." "Mel?" "Mel?" "Now the main thing, fellow Caretakers, is not to panic." "Just because it appears that something unfortunate may have happened to" "Caretaker Number 345 Stroke 12 Subsection 3, we must not go leaping to conclusions." "Careless chat about the Robotic Self-activating Megapodic mark 7Z Cleaners having got out of control is not going to help anyone, and may needlessly upset other Caretakers." "Many explanations are possible for this unlucky accident." "In the mean time all Caretakers will continue to patrol their assigned streets as before." "I'm sure you will be quite safe." "Who did that?" "Oh." "Yes?" "Chief?" "Yes, Deputy?" "The Great Architect has escaped." "He's what!" "?" "!" "Ooh that was delicious, dear." "Thank you, dear." "A little on the small side of course." "Well, I'm sure we could both have done with a little more." "Now days you have to take what you can find." "Perhaps something better will turn up before too long." "We can only hope so." "D'you suppose it's that delicious little Mel." "She did say that she'd come back." "Come in." "It's only me." "Oh, Maddy, dear, how nice to see you." "I'm not intruding." "No, no." "We're just finishing." "You're sure." "Yes, of course." "Have some tea." "Oh thank you very much." "I just had to come over and tell you." "Tell us what, Maddy?" "Another Caretaker's disappeared." "was it the Kangs?" "Well, they're trying to make out that it might be but from what I've heard there's more to it than anyone's letting on." "I mean people just don't vanish do they." "No, no, of course not." "There's always something left behind." "Nothing ventured." "Nothing gained." "Jackpot!" "Issued by the Great Architect, Kroagnon." "Kroagnon?" "Oh no." "Not you again." "I've got too many things to work out, you really aren't helping." "What d'you want anyway?" "Oh that is my death!" "Think calmly!" "Oh." "Wait there." "I'll check if it's safe." "Well?" "It's safe." "Good." "What's happening..." "I really don't understand..." "Build high for happiness, Doctor." "Oh!" "Build high for happiness." "What happened?" "You dropped down, Doctor." "Whoosh into our Brainquarters." "Where is the girl who isn't a Kang?" "I only wish I knew." "Fire Escape." "Bin Liner." "I never expected to see you again." "I didn't expect to be glad to see you again." "But I've got to go, there's much to be done." "No way!" "No ball games, no fly-posts." "No out-going." "Why you here, Doctor." "It was an accident." "I was being chased by two cleaners." "And then suddenly..." "Cleaners!" "?" "!" "Yes." "I expect they've gone by now." "Check for safe and sure on the Talky-Phone." "Do I get the impression I'm not believed." "Cleaners make Kangs unalive." "Do they now." "Why don't you tell me about it?" "What is the matter with everyone in the Towers?" "I simply don't understand." "I mean the Cleaners go round killing people and carting them off and no one does anything about them." "And all you Kangs can do is draw wallcrawls on the subject all over the place." "But the Cleaners..!" "I know because I've seen them." "And the Caretakers, they're no better." "They allowed themselves to be killed off without saying anything either." "Just because there's nothing about it in their precious rulebook." "You mean to say..." "I know because I've read it." "...there's a wipe-out of Caretakers as well." "Oh don't tell me you don't know." "I mean what is going on?" "I mean what is behind that door belching out smoke that you Kangs are so keen on painting pictures of eh?" "Any ideas?" "Or that simply just another mystery?" "Cleaners were in the carrydoor with sprinkle gas." "There no more." "Thank goodness for that." "Can I have a look?" "You know you really are very stupid for such clever people." "If I were you I'd find that door and discover what's behind it." "Because until you do, we're all at risk, You, Me, Mel, Everybody." "Are these antiques dotted around all over the building?" "It really is a splendid piece of Auditory Architect Matonical Metrasyncocity." "It works!" "I'm sure." "Hello?" "Sorry." "Wrong number." "Just one other thing." "You probably haven't realised that this machine has another purpose." "Oh incidentally, yet another Paradise Towers mystery." "Issued by the Great Architect, Kroagnon." "Kroagnon?" "Oh I do wish I could place him." "I mean what's happened to him since finishing this building." "No one seems to know." "Sorry." "Erm." "Very refreshing." "Ice hot, Doctor." "Ice hot!" "Hello, my pet." "How are you?" "Did you enjoy your nice Caretaker?" "Hungry!" "Hungry?" "You can't be." "Daddy's always made sure you get a good supply of what you need." "Daddy's the Chief Caretaker, that's his main job." "Hungry!" "And why we're on the subject, Daddy's not too pleased with you." "Now I didn't send you this little snack, did I?" "So how come it's got here?" "I mean the Cleaners wouldn't do things like that without orders from someone and it wasn't me so who was it?" "Now tell Daddy." "If you don't tell Daddy who's been feeding you behind his back," "I won't give you the Great Architect to eat!" "Hungry!" "Alright." "Alright." "Alright." "You'll get him just as soon as I can catch him again." "Hungry!" "But my pet, my darling." "I don't understand, you're not usually like this." "What's the matter?" "Tell Daddy." "Fight." "Enough Muscle Brain." "Get back." "Will you please tell us why you're holding us here." "We saw you with the Red Kangs." "Oh but they were holding me captive too." "Look, my name's Mel." "I'm a visitor here." "You know him." "I'm protecting her." "Do you know anything about this person?" "Oh the Kangs know the Muscle Brain." "He's a scaredy-cat." "When the In-Betweens sent us all here in the ship, us and the Oldsters, the Muscle Brain hid away and came with us because he didn't want to fight in the war with all the other In-Betweens." "Who told you that?" "Everyone knows that!" "The Oldsters call out after him in the Carrydoors," ""The Muscle Brains a Scaredy-cat"." "Scaredy-cat!" "Scaredy-cat!" "Scaredy-cat!" "Pex?" "What?" "Is this true?" "IS THIS TRUE?" "I've made up for it since I was here." "Since I've been in Paradise Towers, I've been brave!" "A hero!" "A fighting..." "Sent by powers that you weren't allowed to name?" "I should have guessed." "Will you allow me to go if I go alone?" "I give you my word I mean you no harm." "You can see I've got no weapons." "Look!" "Thanks." "Goodbye Pex." "So you still haven't discovered where the Great Architect has got to." "No Chief." "And you have no idea as to his whereabouts at all." "No Chief." "Unless?" "Unless?" "Unless..." "He was taken by the cleaners?" "Don't be absurd." "Besides you are overlooking one very obvious possibility." "What's that, Chief?" "The Wallscrawlers!" "They've been getting very bold of late, making fun of authority." "Summon all available Caretakers." "We are going to start a 45D Section 3 Security Search." "Yes, Chief." "The 327 Appendix 3 Subsection 9 Death of the Great Architect must take place." "And besides even if the Wallscrawlers haven't got him..." "It's high time they were taught a severe lesson." "Coo-ee?" "Care for a cup of tea?" "It's lovely to see you." "We'd almost given up hope." "How have you been getting on?" "Oh not very well." "I've been going round and round in circles." "Oh what a shame." "Come inside and rest your weary bones." "Oh I don't know, I..." "Yes." "Yes, thank you." "I will." "I am very tired." "Tabby, guess what." "A real piece of good fortune." "You'll never guess who's arrived for tea." "Mel!" "Build high for happiness, Doctor." "Build high for happiness." "But let us not forget what we have to do." "We must find Mel and discover the mystery of Paradise Towers because I've learned enough to realise that its very existence is at stake." "Ice hot, Doctor." "Ice hot." "Caretakers!" "I can see them through the Eye spy." "Ware Doctor." "He brings them here because like Caretakers he wants a Wallscrawlers unalive." "Not at all." "You don't understand." "I mean, the last people I want to meet are the Caretakers;" "I'm in as much danger as you." "More probably." "You got to believe me." "Listen we've got to work together." "The Chief Caretaker's off his head." "If we don't stop the wipe-outs, who will?" "Please?" "You feeling better now, dear." "Erm." "Yes, thank you." "There's nothing like tea and crumpets is there?" "I feel so much more relaxed." "Oh that's good to hear, isn't it Tilda." "Yes, very good." "All the same, I really must be going now." "Oh we couldn't possibly let you do that." "Oh no, not this time." "We can't possibly miss this opportunity, can we Tabby?" "No we can't Tabby, not since those horrid little Kangs got suspicious of our little ways." "I am sorry, dear." "What d'you mean?" "Well you see, we would like you to stay for a very long time." "In fact we don't imagine you ever leaving at all." "You are joking aren't you?" "Tilda?" "TABBY?" "We don't see this as a matter for humour, Mel dear." "We mean every word." "In our experience, Mel dear, it is much better not to struggle too much." "It only causes needless distress!"