"To the Doctor." "The Doctor." "Your Highness?" "Potent stuff." "Wake up!" "So much for the local wine." "Wake up, you traitor!" "What?" "Traitor!" "What?" "I want you to be totally conscious when I kill you." "Haven't you got anything better to do?" "There's only one thing preventing me running you through right now!" "What's that?" "Where is he?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "That's enough, Farrah!" "Doctor, the prince has gone." "What?" "Where?" "Vanished." "He's been kidnapped." "By whom?" "Your master, Count Grendel of course!" "I don't even know who Count Grendel is!" "I'm inclined to believe you, Doctor." "But Swordmaster!" "Why should he remain behind when the prince has been taken." "It doesn't make sense." "At least he didn't take the android." "They took the real prince." "What use is the copy?" "That depends on what you're going to do." "What honour demands." "And what's that?" "Farrah and I will take our swords and do battle with the Count's men." "What?" "Just the two of you?" "A swordsman does not fear death if he dies with honour." "Then he's an idiot!" "Listen, let me see if I understand this." "In order to be crowned king, the prince must present himself in the coronation room at a specific time, right?" "Correct." "Then you've got no problem, excuse me." "You take "it" to the coronation room and get "it" crowned." "Crown an android King of Tara?" "Never!" "Would you rather crown Count Grendel of Gracht?" "But an android..." "It's unthinkable." "In any case, Grendel's men will see that we don't get into the coronation room." "Well, I don't suppose the king was going to walk in through the front door." "He had a plan." "Ah." "What?" "There is a secret passage." "Ah, I thought there might be something like that." "Would Grendel know about it?" "I hope not." "So do I." "All right." "Now listen, I'll do some more work on George, you get him to the coronation room, get him crowned, and while he's ruling the country, you two can find the real prince." "That's worth a try, isn't it?" "Doctor, I see only two objections to your plan." "Only two?" "What if the android breaks down?" "I can't guarantee you anything, but if I had the proper tools..." "Second problem, security." "Security?" "But only the three of us need know of George's existence." "Precisely." "Farrah, I can trust." "And by the time George is king, I'll be light years away." "No, Doctor." "You'll be with the android at all times." "Now look here, Zadek, I've got better things to do than meddle in the politics of your piffly little planet!" "On the other hand, I could be with the android at all times." "What are you doing?" "Calling my dog." "I don't see any dog." "Of course not, he hasn't arrived yet." "Master?" "Doctor, you've checked the android?" "As far as I can without proper tools." "Everything is functioning correctly?" "No." "His micro-circuitry's not perfect and his power packs need a boost." "I have great confidence in you, Doctor." "Oh, I'm deeply touched." "But remember, either Farrah or myself will be with you at all times." "Don't let us down." "Don't draw that sword!" "You called, master." "What is that thing?" "That thing?" "That's my dog." "But it's a machine." "So is your prince." "Don't draw that sword!" "K9?" "K9?" "Look, I don't like to say I told you so, but I told you so." "Do put it away, quickly." "K9, where's Romana?" "She has not yet returned, master." "What?" "Where is she?" "Insufficient data to formulate a reply." "She's not within range of my sensors." "But she's only meant to be gone an hour." "You've lost someone?" "Yes, my assistant." "She was looking for something." "What?" "Nothing important." "Where was she last seen?" "Where you picked me up yesterday." "Which way was she going?" "Up the hill." "Toward Count Grendel's lands." "I'm afraid, Doctor, it sounds as though she might have fallen into the hands of the Count." "So the lovely lady wakes." "How long have I been unconscious?" "Twelve hours, my dear." "I trust you slept well." "Release her." "Twelve hours?" "Oh, no." "Why?" "What's the matter, my dear?" "Look, why don't you just let me go?" "I've no money and I'm not worth ransoming." "Why did you bring me here?" "You think I'm a common bandit?" "I'm not even Taran." "What possible use can I be to you?" "I'll show you." "Help her down." "Come with me." "I want you to see something." "And how is our guest?" "She's well, my lord." "Good, let's see for ourselves." "Take a look, my dear." "It's incredible!" "Yes." "The resemblance is extraordinary, isn't it?" "Is it an android?" "Good heavens!" "No, my dear, that's the Princess Strella." "First Lady of Tara, a descendant of the Royal House," "Mistress of the domains of Thorvald, Mortgarde and Freya." "In fact, Tara's most eligible spinster, shortly to become, in rapid succession, my fiancée, my bride and then deceased." "Yes, it will be a tragic accident." "A flower blighted in its prime." "And naturally, as her husband, I shall claim her estates and her position as second in line to the throne." "As provided for under Taran law." "I see." "But since you've already got a princess, what do you need me for?" "Well, the princess does not entirely agree with my plan." "I can't say I'm wildly surprised!" "In fact she quite refuses to cooperate." "Good for her." "But I still don't see what all this has got to do with me." "Don't you, my dear?" "I should've thought that was obvious." "If she goes on refusing, I can marry you instead, in front of the great assembly of the nobles of Tara, who won't know the difference!" "What happens if I refuse, too?" "Oh, but you won't." "Aren't I a lucky man to have two such beautiful women as my brides?" "Apparently, your staff doesn't agree." "She's prejudiced, my dear, just because I once showed her a certain courtesy." "That's the trouble with peasants these days, they don't know their place any more." "Open!" "Why don't you kill me, Grendel, and get it over with?" "Never rush your pleasures, my dear Reynart." "Besides, I've brought someone to see you." "Meet his Royal Highness, Prince Reynart, first in line to the throne of Tara." "Strella!" "No, I'm not Strella." "I just look like her." "My name's Romana." "You see, my dear Reynart, when I play for high stakes," "I like to hold all the cards." "You won't be holding this one much longer." "He's ill." "He's running a fever." "That's why we brought him a permanent nurse for his bedside." "Hold her, Kurster!" "Lamia!" "Let her go!" "Don't be so tediously heroic, my dear fellow." "Not too tight, Lamia." "We don't want to choke her." "She is secure, my lord." "Good." "You know, my dear Reynart, you ought to thank me." "For what?" "For what?" "For finding you such a charming nurse." "There." "Take good care of our royal guest, my dear." "Watch them, Kurster." "Yes, my lord." "And now, my friend, I must go to your coronation." "It's a pity you will miss it." "Where is Count Grendel's castle?" "About eight leagues from here." "You're not thinking of going there alone?" "Well, where else might he have taken her if not there?" "To Tara itself." "He will want to make sure that no one else claims the throne." "Right." "K9, you take the castle." "I'll go to Tara with George." "You're going to help us, then?" "Well, of course." "Anyway, we need Zadek to get us into the palace, right?" "Correct, Doctor." "Good." "K9, off you go." "Find out if Romana's there and report straight back to me." "Come on, off you go!" "Doctor?" "What?" "Is he a good hunting dog?" "Oh, well." "If she's there, he'll find her." "There's not a lot of time left." "We're almost there." "Wait here." "I'll go ahead and scout." "Good." "Be careful, Swordmaster." "He's not as young as he used to be." "Who is?" "Are you all right, sir?" "How do you feel?" "I can't talk to androids." "Is he all right?" "Yes, I think so." "He's not talking." "I've switched off his communication mechanism to conserve power." "He'll have to make a speech at his coronation." "He'll make a speech." "Don't worry." "It won't be a long one but he'll make a speech." "I don't know what it is about androids." "I know it's silly." "You know what I mean?" "Hmm." "Funny thing, some androids feel like that about humans." "I have found the place." "Come." "It's one of Grendel's men." "I'll deal with him." "When will he recover?" "In a few hours." "It fires electronic bolts." "How very quaint." "It's a peasant's weapon." "Come." "There's no time to lose." "That's curious." "That's very odd." "Mistress?" "So you're a friend of the Doctor?" "Yes." "Don't worry, he'll get us out of here." " How?" "No one's ever escaped from the dungeons of Castle Gracht." "How is it?" "Not good, eh?" "Look, don't try and talk, just conserve your strength." "For what?" "I can't swim the moat with this, let alone take on the guard." "The Doctor will find a way." "Soon I hope." "I'd like to try and avoid giving Grendel the pleasure of dying in one of his foul dungeons." "Peasants!" "How dare you lay hands on a lady?" "What were these tunnels built for?" "They were plague tunnels built about 200 years ago to allow the royal court to move in and out of the palace without having to pass through the contaminated city." "Wow." "The great plague wiped out nine tenths of the population." "That's when the survivors started using androids to replace the people." "I see." "Very far yet?" "Quite a way, I fear." "You're relieved of your post." "Go!" "Take up your place." "Come on!" "Well?" "Everything is ready, my lord." "The peasants are prepared?" "I have my men dressed as peasants, my lord." "As soon as it is announced the prince has not appeared for the coronation, there will be a spontaneous demonstration of love and loyalty to the House of Gracht." "I think I shall reject the crown once." "Rejecting it twice might be misconstrued." "Besides, I'm not sure I can trust the Archimandrite to offer it to me a third time." "The hour approaches, Count Grendel." "It does indeed, your Eminence." "Where is the prince?" "No doubt he'll be here, your Eminence." "If he misses the appointed hour of his coronation, we must choose another king." "That is the law." "I know." "It is possible we may choose you." "You overwhelm me, your Eminence." "We're nearly there." "The steps to the coronation chamber are just round the corner." "Doctor!" "What?" "Stop him!" "Is he going to be all right?" "Let's hope so." "Off you go." "Look out!" "We've been followed." "Doctor, take the prince!" "We'll try to hold them off here." "There's a lever at the top." "Pull it down." "It opens a panel." "Hurry!" "It's hardly been moved for 200 years!" "It's stuck." "It won't move." "There's no sign of the prince, Count Grendel." "He would appear to be late, your Eminence." "If he doesn't appear by the appointed time, it is my duty under the law to offer the crown to one of the other nobles." "My dear Archimandrite, you may rest assured that whoever you choose to be King of Tara will immediately be offered the protection of my guard." "Your guard?" "These are your men?" "The palace guard proved to be indisposed." "I see." "Perhaps, in the circumstances, it would be simpler if I offered you the crown immediately." "An excellent suggestion, my dear Archimandrite." "It would avoid a great deal of possible unpleasantness later." "But we must wait for the exact moment." "Everything must be done correctly." "Noble sentiments, Count." "Nobly spoken." "Look!" "It is time." "It is time!" "Open the doors!" "Impossible!" "All kneel to our sovereign Lord, Prince Reynart!" "Kneel!" "Behold the crown of Tara!" "Hail to the King!" "Hail to King Reynart of Tara!" "Hail to the King!" "Your Majesty, the speech of accession, you must say it." "My subjects, I acknowledge your salutations, and I swear that I will uphold your rights and devote myself to defending and... prooooo-tecting you at all times." "I'll do some more work on his speech circuits." "Let all the nobles now swear the oath of fealty to the King." "Let the First Lady of the land of Tara come forward and make her vows." "Romana?" "That's Princess Strella." "I, Princess Strella, descendant of the Royal Kings of Tara," "Mistress of the domains of Thorvald, Mortgarde and Freya, do humbly offer my loyalty to the King and do hereby recognise his suzerainty over me and all whom I command." "No!"