"We're not even sure that Lurgen was here." " Docholli had no reason to lie." " Some people don't need a reason." "T rue, but let us assume that the keeper of the secret is somewhere down there on the planet Goth, and that the keeper is a royal personage." "Lurgen's brain print is on a thong around a chief's neck." "That's what Docholli said." "Or he said it was Lurgen's brain that was on a thong." "That might not be the same thing." "If you find the brain print, and consequently the location of Star One, what then?" "." " Finish what we started." " Destroy it?" "." "Of course." "And the entire Federation with it." "Does that bother you suddenly?" "." "Star One is the automatic computer control centre for the entire Federation." " Get to the point, Avon." " That is the point." "Through Star One we could control everything." "The Federation could belong to us." " I could be President." " Ah." "Or we can take it in turns." "You ready to go, Vila?" "." "Why not?" "." "Now that would be worth the risks we're taking." " Blake is afraid that power would corrupt him." " That sort of power would corrupt anyone." "Which is why the location of Star One has been kept such a secret." "T ravis could change all that, and I doubt if he has your scruples." "Then the very least we can do is make sure that he doesn't find the secret." " Now there is something that worries me." " Yes?" "." "How do we know that T ravis isn't down there now?" "." "You don't." "But there are noxious gases." "Anyone who lives above ground will die sooner or later from toxic lung infections." "Also your eyes will be affected." "So anyone who lives on Goth lives underground." "If he's wise, he does." "And if he's not, he's dead." "All right, put us down Cally." "Down safe." "Proceeding on bearing of 029." " Hey, the air is a bit niffy." " Hmm, sulphur." "Rots your lungs eventually." "Marvellous, I can hardly wait." "Main detectors report Federation pursuit ship, bearing 1 32, course 276, leaving the planet and entering orbit." " Put it on the main screen." " Affirmative." " Are we in range of its detectors?" "." " Negative." " Plot us a course to intercept." " Affirmative." " You 're not going to attack?" "." " Don 't you recognise it?" "." "THAT is T ravis ' ship." "But if we leave here, we leave Blake and the others out of teleport range." "This is our chance to finish off T ravis." "He is at our mercy." " Perhaps, but you can't just..." " Course for intercept, 073." "Speed, Standard by Four." "Strike range in four minutes ten seconds." "We've got him cold." "We'll be there and back within ten minutes and T ravis will be dead." "Steer 073, Cally." "Avon, I'm..." " ZERO-SEVEN-THREE!" "All right." "This time we have him." "Zen put up the radiation flare shields, clear the neutron blasters for firing." "Confirmed." "Avon, I hope you know what you're doing." "Neutron blasters are cleared for firing." "Can you think of a better way to stop T ravis finding Star One?" "." "Target will be within strike range in exactly two minutes." "No indication that he's seen us." "Good." "I have no objection to shooting him in the back." "All right to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here." "Seems deserted, shame about that." "Avon, teleport!" "Avon, teleport!" "Avon!" "Where are you?" "." "[SNEEZE]" "Hah!" "Avon, teleport now." "Avon!" "Avon!" " Why doesn't he move?" "." " How should I know?" "." "Just so long as he doesn't." "[CODED COMMUNICATION]" "What's that?" "." "He's transmitting." "Who to?" "." "Who cares?" "." "Stand by." "His detectors must warn him soon." "We are going to get as near as we can, Cally." "Goodbye, T ravis." "[NEUTRON BLASTERS]" "Got him!" "So much for T ravis." "Mind you, you could hardly miss at that range." "What did you want me to do?" "." "Give him a sporting chance?" "." "Zen, take us back into planetary orbit, Standard by Twelve." "Avon!" "Avon!" "Liberator!" "Liberator!" "We've solved one of Blake's problems for him." "Let us hope that he can handle the rest as easily." "Coming into stationary orbit now." "[EXPLOSION]" "Teleport now!" "[EXPLOSION]" "What the hell happened?" "." "What happened to the others?" "." " Let him drink this first." " Where are the others?" "." "The Goths have them." " How?" "." " Ambush." " Are we going down to get them out?" "." " I am." "And where the hell were you?" "." " We just got T ravis for you!" " What?" "." "How much further is it?" "." " Move!" " All right, there's no need to push." "Fool, you do not amuse me as once you did." "Gola, you frighten him." "That is why all his tricks go wrong." "Silence, witch." "I could tell you better tricks." "I could show you things in the future." "You can show me nothing!" "All that talks is your drug." "In the end you will inhale too much and it will kill you." "Nothing will kill me, I shall live forever." "Tcha!" "Kick that fool as you pass him." "Possibly I might smile at his pain." " Travis, my friend." "You'll take wine?" "." " Thank you, oh Charl." "My sister here has all kinds of mind-bending potions if they are more to your liking." "I see..." "I see" "A man and a woman." "The man is a fool, the woman is beautiful to behold." "Here, in the Tents of Goth." "You see?" "." "She is not of this world." " In there!" " All right!" "You!" "Where is Blake?" "." " They haven't got him." " Silence!" " You know these people?" "." " Yes, oh Charl." "They are enemies." "Of myself, of Servalan, and also of Lurgen who mended your wound and took away the terrible pains." "T ruly a magician, that Lurgen." "Real magic, not foolery and potions." "It's a pity he's gone from us." "Without his cure, I would be wishing for death." "You say these people are his enemies?" "." "They pursue him to kill him." " A beautiful woman!" "And a fool." " Eh?" "!" "." "These two I leave to your mercies, oh Charl." "A beautiful woman, indeed she is so." "We had to stop Travis getting to Star One first." "Well now he is stopped." " IF he was on the pursuit ship." " It seemed a reasonable assumption." "If I'm not back in six hours, come down." "Both of you." "That's a long time to stay in orbit." "Stationary, we are an easy target." "No one knows we're here." "Unless you've alerted them." "Put me down Cally." "It's them!" "It's that fool Vila and the girl, Jenna, they're here." " What?" "." "Is Blake here?" "." " No." "Pursuit Ship Four, T ravis here." "Reply." "The Liberator has obviously destroyed it." "Yes." "Blake must be one step behind us." "We know the keeper of the secret is on Goth." "We know he is a royal person." "Perhaps Blake knows that too." "But which royal person?" "." "There is the Charl and there is his sister." " It has to be one of them." " But which one?" "." "You will soon know, and when you do, you could control the Federation, you and I." "Don't be ridiculous, T ravis." "Look, Star One is the computer control centre." "It controls the climate on more than two hundred worlds, communications, security, food production, it controls them all." "It is the key to our very lives." "Think of all that power." "You can see why the Council themselves don't know where Star One is." " In the wrong hands..." " Yes, but in the right hands; yours and mine." "Be very careful you don't over-reach yourself, T ravis." "There'll come a time when such ideas seem unambitious." "One day, Servalan..." "Yes?" "." "What are you talking about, T ravis?" "." "I must alert the nearest Federation flotilla to attack the Liberator." "I can't do it from here on this thing." "I'll have to use your ship." "The Liberator may pick you up." "It's a chance we'll have to take unless you're prepared to risk Blake getting to the secret before we do, well?" "." "All right." "How long?" "." " Three hours." " That long?" "." "You could have the secret by then, it has to be one of those two, the chief or his sister." "Don't you trust me?" "." "No, of course not." " Then trust my ambition." " You will be the new keeper of the secret." " Yes." "... at the moment, ground bearing 1 20." " Is he all right?" "." "So far." " Main detectors report ship leaving planetary orbit." " Identify." "It is a modified Class One Federation pursuit ship." " Grid reference?" "." " Grid reference B-372 1" "Modified Class One..." "that must be Servalan." " Zen, have they detected us?" "." " Negative." " Cally, set a course to intercept." " What?" "." "A course to intercept." " No." " Yes!" " If we leave here, we leave Blake alone again." " This is an ideal opportunity." "Not this time." "She will be out of range in one minute." "We will never get her." "All right, then." "We'll never get her." " Cally, listen." " NO!" "Let me go, you dogs!" "Let me fight you one by one." "Hold it!" "[GUNFIRE]" "I said leave him!" "[GUNFIRE]" "Thank you, whoever you are." "You are a friend." " Who are you?" "." " My name is Rod." "Greeting." " Greeting." " And what is that?" "." "Er... nothing." "You say that it is nothing, yet men fall." "It is magic." "You are for the Tents of Goth?" "." "Yes, when I can find the way." "They are underground." "So!" "I will take you there." "Your name?" "." " Blake." " And who do you seek?" "." "The ones called Servalan and T ravis?" "." "They are your friends?" "." " They are no friends of mine." " Nor mine." "So!" "I will help you defeat them." "I like your machine..." "but I will not kill you for it." "You've saved my life." "My brother, he would kill you for it." "That is the difference between us." "Very beautiful." "You know Lurgen has gone?" "." " We do not mean him any harm." " Then why are you here?" "." " We come to help the Federation." " The Federation means nothing to me." "I live as my ancestors have lived." "We are a warrior people." "We fight to live and we live to fight." "What can the Federation offer us but slavery?" "." "You are of Goth blood, I know it." "Proud, fit mate for a warrior Charl." "If you do not want Federation servitude, why do you harbour their lackeys?" "." "You talking about T ravis?" "." "He's a refugee from the Federation." "Where is Lurgen?" "." "If you wish to kill him, why should I," "I who am his friend, who bless his name, why should I tell you where he is?" "." " I've told you, we mean him no harm." " You come from a spaceship." "My guards capture you, or else by now you would have killed us." "What are these?" "." "You, fool!" "What are these?" "." "Just bracelets, Oh King." "Do me a trick, Fool." " What?" "." "Now?" "." " Now!" "A trick..." "I take this chain from about my neck and place it in my fist, like so  it is gone!" "The chain now travels up my right arm, across my chest, down my left arm and into my great king's noble hand." "Splendid!" "Better than my own fool." "Next time, I'll kill you." "He is jealous." "He thinks you do not love him any longer and he feels badly about it." "He'll feel much worse if I send him below, eh Fool?" "." " No!" "Not below!" " Why not?" "." "I have a better fool now." "Great Charl, Leader of the Goths, greatest and strongest warrior of all, have mercy on a fool that's lost his magic!" "Behave and maybe I will." "Tara, what do you think of the girl?" "." "You think to take her to pair-bond." "How do you know that?" "." "But you're right." "I need a line to follow me." "I need sons, to kill my brother if he kills me first." "He will try that, that is as certain as our eyes." "If you say that once more, your head is forfeit!" "I mean it, sister or not, if you say that once more..." "I say, I say that he will kill, but he will die." " We will kill each other then?" "." " That I do not know." "Woman, you are addled with that stuff." "Come, sit by me." "You like that?" "." "Well, yes." "It's very nice, very nice indeed." "Good." "Zen, any sign of Federation pursuit ships on the main detectors?" "." "Negative." " Any activity whatever?" "." " There is no activity on the main detectors." "What about the extra-range detector?" "." "You know that puts a heavy drain on the energy banks." " Negative on the extra-range detector." " Satisfied?" "." "No." "I think we're in real danger, hanging around here in stationary orbit." " Stay here." "Wait for me, I will be back." " All right." "I will then take you to the tents." "Wait for me." " Your name is what?" "." " Jenna." " You are of what tribe?" "." " I come from Earth." "Earth?" "." "Then you must gain my approval, Earth-woman, or no pair-bond." "You remember Lurgen, the man who made your brother well?" "." "He will speak for me." "He had magic, certainly." "He is one of the best cyber-surgeons in the whole of the Federation." " But he is no longer here." " Oh?" "." " He is gone, far away." " Where?" "." "The vapour does not tell me that." "Lurgen left behind him a secret, what does the vapour say about that?" "." "The keeper of the secret may not even know that he, or she, is the keeper." " And you are asking me who the keeper is?" "." " Yes." "And if I could tell you, what then?" "." "Ask for anything in the whole galaxy, and it is yours." "It must be a very important secret, this thing you ask about." "It is." "Yes, you are very beautiful, I can see why my brother wishes to pair-bond with you." "This secret, I am told, is on a person of royal blood." "It hangs from the neck of such a person." "Like the one I wear?" "." "Like the one my brother wears?" "." "Perhaps." " Well?" "." "Yes." "And you would like to look at it, eh?" "." "Yes, may I?" "." " I can't move my hand." " No." " Was that some of your magic?" "." " Does it matter?" "." "You must have great powers." "I do know a few of the mysteries handed down from the Lost Time." "I can speak with my people of my own blood." "Yes, you are very lovely." "I think my brother will pair-bond with you." "The vapour tells me how deeply he desires this." "I don't think you need the vapour to tell you that." "You don't want me to bond with him, do you?" "." "You would rather that I left Goth and never returned." "Possibly." "If I stay, you're afraid that I might take some of your powers away." "The vapour says that if you remain here, you may die." "Once I know who the keeper is, I will go, I promise." "Would you help me?" "." "Yes, I would help you to go, if I knew who the keeper was." "Isn't it you?" "." "You may touch the amulet now." "I will not stop you." " There is nothing on it." " No." "You are disappointed." "I thought it might be you." " No." "And now?" "." " And now I have to stay." " Why is that?" "." " You know why." "There is only the chief." "He is the only other person of royal blood." "[CACKLING LAUGHTER]" "Wine!" "Where is the girl?" "." "Ah!" "There you are." "Come and sit next to me" "Cheer me up, I feel low." "This fool is not amusing me." "Music!" "So, you do not hate me now?" "." " I have never hated you." " Ah!" "That's good." "You'll pair-bond with me whether you like it or not, you know." " It is an honour." "Ahhh." "Good, more wine." "You are truly a most remarkable man." "Oh, I'm sorry." "It looks interesting." " Do not touch a Charl's person." " I am sorry." "Humility is good in a woman." "[MOANING]" " Who are you?" "." " Go away." "No, no, no." "Look, I'm not going to harm you." "Who are you?" "." "Go away, leave me to die." "Go away." "LEAVE ME!" " Quiet!" "You'll bring the guards." " Not the guards!" "Not the guards!" "Then keep quiet." "There!" "I win!" "[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]" " She let you win." " What?" "." "She is a superior-grade citizen of the Federation." "Her IQ is very high." "She let you win." " You are a friend of Lurgen's, or I..." " What?" "." "I'd send you down below." "You lay a finger on me and the Federation battle fleets will blast you to ashes." "You and all your tents." "We are a long way under the ground." "Do not be sure any bomb would reach us." "There is not a hole deep enough for you to hide in." "Silence!" "I am Charl here." "I do not wish your presence in my tent." "Go." "Very well, but I must speak to you alone, in one hour, in my tent." "It would be wise for you to be there." " You will come to me." " Uh..uh." "What are you cackling at?" "." "She represents the Federation and you are afraid of her." " No I am not." " HE would not be afraid of her." " Shut up about him!" " Who is she talking about?" "." "Nobody." "You didn't let me win, did you?" "." " Of course not." " Oh yes she did." " Vila!" " Eh?" "." "Be quiet!" " But she did!" "She let you win." " What did you say?" "." " Eh?" "." " You said she let me win." "No I didn't." "I didn't say anything." " Vila, shut up!" " But I didn't say anything." " Guards!" "You are going down below." " But I said nothing." "You do not insult the Charl of the Goths..." "BELOW!" "But I didn't speak!" "Honestly I didn't, you've got to believe me!" "I said nothing!" " Gola, please!" "No, no." "He must learn." "Gola, don't kill him!" " Please!" "We'll see, we'll see." "But you don 't understand, it's all been a terrible mistake!" "Put me down!" "I didn't say one word, really!" "Come along, we know where you've got to go." "Come along." "In you go." "Behave!" "I was behaving." "Don't leave me here." "At least leave me a torch." "I don't like the dark." "I like to see what I'm scared of." " Vila." " Huh?" "." "Blake!" "Shhh, quiet." "Am I glad to see you." "What are you doing here?" "." " Is Jenna all right?" "." " Only pair-bonding with the chief." " Good." " Come on, get me out." "I can't, not for a while." "You'll have to stay here for a bit." "Marvellous." " Who's that?" "." " He seems harmless." "He smells horrible." "So would you if you'd been here for as long as he has." "Let's not think about that." "Tell me what's going on up there, everything." " Where is T ravis?" "." " I see you have the run of the place." " I am betrothed to the Charl and I have his protection." " I may still kill you." " I only have a minute." "Where is T ravis?" "." "Oh, he'll be back." "I think not." "I think he already knows the location of Star One and he's on his way there already." " Really?" "." "And who do you imagine told him?" "." " The only person who knew." "Lurgen." " Lurgen was gone before we arrived." " Was he?" "." "Are you sure?" "." "T ravis knows better than to trick me." "I've already told him he's dead if he tries." "With all that power at stake, do you think that he really cares?" "." "Jenna!" "Where is Jenna?" "." "I may not kill you after all." "A lifetime with Gola would be very educational for you." "[MUSIC AND DRUMMING]" "I feel strange, dizzy." "It must have been the wine." " The wine?" "." "Seems all right." " I must sit." " YOU gave her the wine." "No, no!" "I saw you give it her." "You gave her a potion." "One of HER potions." " No!" "I swear I did nothing." " Guards!" "You are going down below." " Not below!" " 'Til I decide how you die." "Get him out of here!" "I did nothing!" "I did nothing!" "Are you all right, my love?" "." "Yes, I think so." "I did not drink too much." "Gola, please release Vila." " What?" "." " He was telling the truth." "Your fool tricked him by throwing his voice." "You see how much he hates us." "Oh, Gola, please, or else you will have no fool to entertain you." "Guards, bring the other fool back up." "Be well my love." "Will she be well?" "." " Oh yes." " Good." " Oh, I'm sorry, it is forbidden." " No, no, please my love." "[MOCKING LAUGHTER]" "It has to be Gola, it's not his sister, so it has to be him." " No." " Shut up, will you." "Who is he anyway?" "." "I don't know." "Look, I'm going up there, soon." " What about me?" "." " Shh, quiet!" "No!" "Don't put me down there, please!" "I didn't put poison in her drink, I didn't, I tell you." "I didn't put poison in her drink, I didn't." " Hey!" "What's going on?" "." "You're free, orders of the Charl." "Eh?" "." "You're the new fool." "If you aren't funny, you'll be back." "Wonderful." "I knew it would come to this in the end." "Who is it?" "." " It's I, your fool." " Who?" "." "You've forgotten." "Never mind, we'll all die and be forgotten down here." "It's a sad life, that of a fool." " He loves her!" " It's quite good, quite good." "A drink from your hand?" "." "He is the fool, not I." "And now, for my next trick..." " I thought you were never coming." " My men are already in the tunnel." " You going up alone?" "." " I have business with my brother." " Who is your brother?" "." " Come." "Drink, master." "Water." "[DISTANT LAUGHTER]" "I thought you said they'd all be asleep." "In this trick, the captive ring is liberated without breaking the rope." "Watch closely, is there a break above?" "." "Or a Blake below?" "." "And, one, two, three." "Splendid!" "Your friend is a good fool." "I will keep him here with me forever." "Like you, eh, my sweet pair-bond partner?" "." " Of course." "Tara, tell us the future." "I'm in a mood to know." "Will I be happy with my sweet pair-bond partner?" "." "No." " What?" "!" "." " You will not have her." " You talk nonsense." " The vapour sees a duel of the blood." "No!" " Yes, a duel of the Charls, tonight!" " How can that be?" "." "It is!" "Leave the woman!" "T ry your strength with a man." " Rod!" " Brother, I will not call you Charl." "Then I shall make you." " Blake!" " Shhh!" "Who is this?" "." " This is my second." " I see, where's my second?" "." "You, fool!" " What?" "." "I don 't..." " And the Master of the Duel, you!" " It is written he will kill you." " You called him back, didn't you?" "." " Yes I did." " Why?" "." "Because you betray the tribe." "You seek to take her to pair-bond and she is not of the Tents of Goth." "The vapour has prophesied that if you take her to pair-bond, you will die by your brother's hand." " I am not afraid of your vapour." "Hmm, we shall see." "That is Rod, Gola's brother." "Now if that's his brother..." " I see what you mean." "Now is not the right time." " He who lives be Charl." " He who lives be Charl." "[GONG]" "The victory is mine." "I am Charl here." " Vila!" " Your vapour lied." " Gola!" " Aaaaargh..." "No, it's not him." " Then who is there left?" "." "Ask the true Charl, the greatest leader of them all." "Who is he?" "." "He who was most magnificent, the greatest, truest Charl of the Tents of Goth." "Your companion of the cells." "What, that old man?" "." " Their father." "They deposed him, and then quarrelled between themselves as to who should be the new Charl." "Their father?" "." "That old man?" "." "Go now." "Take this key and take the bracelets." "Leave this place." "Go!" "All right." "Come on." "Ha ha ha..." "Let us out." " Who is the keeper?" "." " Leave him, let my master die in peace." " Who is the keeper?" "." " I sing you of the Tents, my Master," "Charl of the Goths," "I sing you of the golden tents Where your fathers wait to greet you..." "It's gone, the brain print's gone!" "You seek the talisman the brain of the healer." "The man with the eye patch took it." "Travis!" "Old man, old man, Lurgen, the healer, did he talk of Star One?" "." "Did he speak to you of anything?" "." "A fool knows everything and nothing." "He's dead!" "I sing you of all the wise Charls, sing you of all that." "Your life, your death, Brought honour to the tents..." "That's it then." "Long live President T ravis." "We might as well lock the door and stay where we are." "Did he say anything to you Blake?" "." "He said, "A fool knows everything and nothing"." "A fool knows everything and nothing." "The location of Star One is at grid reference C-1 7320 in the eleventh sector." "Eleventh sector?" "." "That must be in the middle of nowhere." "Shut up." "The location of Star One is at grid reference C-1 7320 in the eleventh sector." " Lurgen must have planted it in his brain." " A man with a sense of humour." "A fool knows everything and nothing." "Yes, that must have been the trigger phrase." "The fool to keep a secret that Lurgen never wanted in the first place." "All we have to do now is find it." " Blake, this is Cally." "Do you read me Blake?" " Yes Cally, bring us up." "Another few seconds and I would have left you, Blake." " Course for evasion Zen." " 1 89, standard by ten." "Jenna!" "1 89, standard by ten, and on, with luck, to Star One."