Transcript of ‘The Sevenfold Crown’

[Gheblakon’s palace]

GHEBLAKON 

You are most welcome, ah, Commissioner Sleer. You —, ah, your, your companions.

SERVALAN 

Lieutenant Vledka — Officer Gradzil of the Security Service.

VLEDKA 

[clicks heels] Your majesty.

GRADZIL 

[clicks heels — grunts]

SERVALAN 

I must apologise, your majesty, for descending on you unannounced in such an impolite manner, but you must underst— that it is a matter of Federation security at the highest level. This is why I have brought two armed officers to the palace. Please forgive me if I trespass on your royal prerogative.

GHEBLAKON 

Anything I can do to help the Federation, Commissioner.

SERVALAN 

Thank you, sir. A classified document has gone missing. I have reason to believe that those who took it have made their way to Torella. I can say no more than that.

FL—AR 

Can you tell us who they are?

SERVALAN 

Outlaws. Rebels, pirates—

GHEBLAKON 

Pirates! Ah!

FL—AR 

[clears his throat] Your majesty.

GHEBLAKON 

Er, um, that’s shocking! Shocking!

SERVALAN 

I have their likenesses here. [three beeps as the pictures are displayed]

GHEBLAKON 

Hmm. Villainous looking bunch. Couple of juicy jampuffs though. Wait a moment! Fl—ar? That’s Prince L—ros, isn’t it?

FL—AR 

An undoubted similarity, sir.

GHEBLAKON 

Turned to piracy! Hah! Chip off the old block!

SERVALAN 

Let me see. [two beeps] That, sir, is a man named Tarrant, a renegade officer of the Federation Space Fleet. Are you saying that he is here?

GHEBLAKON 

Thought he was a bit too beautiful to be Bratfis’s boy. Face like a squashed frog, old Bratfis. — that one?

SERVALAN 

Avon. The worst of the lot. They are here? In the palace?

GHEBLAKON 

Fl—ar?

FL—AR 

Sah!

GHEBLAKON 

Nip along — find out which suite the ah, the chamberlain’s put the prince in. Terrible thing if they got away.

FL—AR 

[leaving] Yes, sir. Terrible, sir.

GHEBLAKON 

Your lads could spend weeks searching the palace — lose yourselves into the bargain, I shouldn’t wonder. I-I remember on one occasion, er er—

SERVALAN 

Thank you for your help, sir. Come. [leaves]

GHEBLAKON 

Help? Ah, yes...What, er, where are you going? [door slams] Ah.

[outside the jewel chamber]

AVON 

As soon as Dayna comes through, we’ll join the queue for the jewel chamber.

SOOLIN 

Right.

AVON 

I’ll tell Dayna to st— by for the word from you, Vila, as soon as you’ve got the diadem, to take us all up.

VILA 

Me first.

AVON 

Of course.

[Avon’s bracelet chimes]

DAYNA 

Come in, Avon. Do you copy? Do you copy?

AVON 

[to the others] Get on with it. I’ll join you.

SOOLIN 

Right.

VILA 

Right.

AVON 

[to Dayna] I copy.

DAYNA 

Slave’s gone through the teleport circuits — can’t find anything wrong. He thinks it was just a blip, a temporary bug.

AVON 

Some blip if it str—s us down here. Wait till Vila gives the word, then take us up fast. Vila first. Got it?

DAYNA 

Got it. Fingers crossed. Out.

[Avon’s bracelet chimes twice (off, then on)]

TARRANT 

Come in, please.

AVON 

I copy. This had better be important, Tarrant.

TARRANT 

What’s going on? How much longer have I got to hang around?

AVON 

Oh for... Dayna’s st—ing by to take us all up. Now get off the air!

[Guest quarters in Gheblakon’s palace]

TARRANT 

All right, all right, I can take a hint. Out.

[he closes bracelet comms; the door opens]

FL—AR 

Sir, sir!

TARRANT 

What is it?

FL—AR 

I’ve come to warn you, Mr Tarrant.

TARRANT 

You know who I am?

FL—AR 

Yes, sir, — so does Commissioner Sleer. The king’s keeping her talking while I—

SERVALAN 

Keep him covered. Thank you, Captain Fl—ar. How lucky that you were able to find him so quickly.

[Tarrant leaps to his feet]

VLEDKA 

Stay where you are, sit down, — put your h—s flat on the table. Move!

TARRANT 

All right.

SERVALAN 

There’s a good boy. But where is Avon? Captain Fl—ar?

FL—AR 

I, uh...

SERVALAN 

Never mind. Please convey the good news to his majesty, — tell him what a help you’ve been. Off you go.

FL—AR 

Yes, commissioner, of course.

SERVALAN 

— close the door. [he does] You should choose your friends more carefully. King Gheblakon is a very poor dissembler.

TARRANT 

If you’re going to kill me, get on with it.

SERVALAN 

I’m afraid I shall have to defer that pleasure, my dear Tarrant. I repeat: where is Avon? — the rest? Have they got the diadem?

TARRANT 

If you can read my mind, you must know the answers.

SERVALAN 

Why do you think I need the diadem? This stone gives me nothing but a...tantalising glimpse. For example, I can see that you really are terrified that I might order my friends to shoot you. — yet you hide it admirably. Answer my question.

TARRANT 

— then what? As long as I keep quiet, I keep breathing.

SERVALAN 

You’re more brave than I thought. Vledka. Would you like to find out precisely how brave this gentleman is?

VLEDKA 

With pleasure, madam. Now then, sir. Why don’t you answer the commissioner’s questions, — save yourself a lot of unpleasantness?

TARRANT 

Go on then. Hit me.

VLEDKA 

You underestimate me, sir. Gradzil?

GRADZIL 

[grunts]

VLEDKA 

Tie him to the chair.

GRADZIL 

[grunts — complies]

SERVALAN 

Ooh, I’m looking forward to this.

TARRANT 

[gasps in pain]

[The jewel chamber]

ATTENDANT 

...seven...eight...nine. That’s the lot. [cries of outrage] You’ll all get yer chance. [he shuts the door]

ATTENDANT 

Ooh, no sir, no sir, st— back!

VILA 

Oh! Sorry!

ATTENDANT 

Look, you’re only allowed up to the diadem showcase one at a time, see? More than my job’s worth. Right, madam. You’re first, — you’ll be next.

VILA 

Thanks.

SOOLIN 

Isn’t it rather hot in here?

AVON 

It certainly is. Can’t you turn the heat down a bit?

ATTENDANT 

Kept at a constant temperature. Dust-free atmosphere an’ all. If you’d bought the guide, you’d’a known that.

AVON 

Twenty trids for a couple of pages? Daylight robbery.

[Scorpio]

DAYNA 

Come on, come on.

SLAVE 

Forgive me, mistress.

DAYNA 

What is it, Slave?

SLAVE 

I could be entirely wrong, but it may be inadvisable to keep the teleport channel open.

DAYNA 

Why?

SLAVE 

There appears to be a small but significant diminution of the bio-energy store. It would seem to be connected to the overload circuit. I know that my opinion is worth very little, but it might be safer to switch off.

DAYNA 

We have no choice. Leave it as it is.

SLAVE 

Yes, mistress. I’m sure you know best.

[bracelet comms chime]

DAYNA 

I copy, Tarrant. Come in.

TARRANT 

[gasps in pain] For God’s sake, Dayna, aaaaugh!

DAYNA 

I’m bringing you up!

TARRANT 

Aaaaaugh!

[he teleports]

DAYNA 

My God, what have they been doing to you?

[The jewel chamber]

ATTENDANT 

Next!

VILA 

About time too!

SOOLIN 

It really is close in here.

ATTENDANT 

There’s nothing I can do about it, madam.

AVON 

D’you get many visitors?

ATTENDANT 

Oh, in the season. Queuing ’alf-way to the royal gibbet. More than ’alf a million over the years. It’s all in the guide.

SOOLIN 

Oh-oh-oh. [she falls to the floor]

VILA 

Hey! She’s fainted!

AVON 

It’s the heat. I told you it was too hot—

ATTENDANT 

All tight, all right, st— back. St— back!

VILA 

Give her some air.

ATTENDANT 

Leave it to me. We’re trained in this sort of thing.

SOOLIN 

Oh...what...

AVON 

Now, then.

SOOLIN 

Oh, what’s happening?

ATTENDANT 

No no no, try to get up. You have to keep the blood flowing to the cerebral tissue.

AVON 

[to Vila] Get in there!

ATTENDANT 

That’s what they call the brain, you see. You have to learn, you see.

VILA 

Ahh!

SOOLIN 

I suddenly felt so hot.

MAN 

It’s a disgrace, the power...

VILA 

Got it!

ATTENDANT 

Well, it’s not my fault, is it? I mean, fair’s fair.

VILA 

Right, Dayna. It’s all yours. [the teleport starts to operate, but cuts in — out] I say again, take me up! [Dayna tries again] Dayna!

[the door opens]

GUARD 

You! Stay where you are!

VILA 

Oh, no!

GUARD 

Is that the man?

WEMPIN 

Yeah... Yes, it is.

VILA 

Wempin!

WEMPIN 

I’m sorry, I...I didn’t get away in time.

VILA 

No need to snatch. I mean, suppose I just put it back? [the guard hits him] Ooh...oh. All right, all right, I’ll come quiet. [he is hit again] Ow! There’s no need for that.

WEMPIN 

I’m sorry. They were going to hang me.

VILA 

Now, there’s a thought.

SOOLIN 

[quietly] Now what?

AVON 

Into the street. Get lost in the crowd.

[Gheblakon’s palace]

SERVALAN 

Yes! Hang him. — the sooner the better.

VILA 

Now look, couldn’t we discuss this?

GHEBLAKON 

Well, we’ll have to send out the criers, to get the crowds in. We’ll stretch his neck at sunset, hey? Sorry to keep you waiting, lad.

VILA 

I can bear it.

GHEBLAKON 

It was a brave try. You’ve earned yourself a right royal send-off, boy. We’ll light you on your way with torches, — bonfires. Fireworks too, —, — drums—

VILA 

I used to be a dab h— at the drums.

GHEBLAKON 

Oh, eh?

VILA 

In the Federation pen on Skleg, we had a group going which was as good as—

SERVALAN 

Silence! Vledka.

VLEDKA 

Commissioner.

SERVALAN 

Remove that bracelet. I’m not going to let you make the same mistake again.

VLEDKA 

No, madam.

VILA 

[gasps in pain] Do you mind?

SERVALAN 

Take him away.

VILA 

Do I get to choose my last meal? I could really go a jam roly-poly like my mother used to—ooh! Get off!

[Scorpio; Avon — Soolin teleport in]

AVON 

So what happened, Dayna?

TARRANT 

She rescued me from Servalan, — it drained the teleport energy store.

SOOLIN 

But...it’s brought us back.

DAYNA 

It’s recharged itself apparently.

AVON 

— Vila?

DAYNA 

No contact at all.

AVON 

Dayna, you should have obeyed orders.

DAYNA 

But he was being tortured!

SOOLIN 

What?

AVON 

[as he goes to check Tarrant] Servalan’s got Vila. — there’s nothing to stop her getting the diadem. Let’s have a look. That’ll heal. [he comes back to Slave] Slave, what’s wrong with the teleport?

SLAVE 

It is working now, master.

AVON 

Evidently.

SLAVE 

I’ve not been able to ascertain the cause of the malfunction, for which I am deeply sorry, but by dint of overriding the feedback cut-out in the teleport store, — controlling the flow of bio-energy—

AVON 

All right, all right. So where do we go from here?

SOOLIN 

Vila’s to be hanged at sunset. I heard the criers in the street.

AVON 

Good.

TARRANT 

What?

AVON 

Then the diadem will be out of its box — sitting on that ludicrous king’s head, — Vila’s execution will provide a useful distraction. We’re still in with a chance.

DAYNA 

— Vila?

AVON 

What about him?

DAYNA 

How do we save him?

AVON 

I haven’t the slightest idea. He’ll be more closely guarded than the crown jewels, though that wouldn’t be difficult. When I think of the opportunity we had...

TARRANT 

May I point out that we still have two security badges?

AVON 

So we have.

TARRANT 

We could easily make another one.

AVON 

Then I know exactly what we can do. Of course. Even better. Now listen carefully, all of you. It’s not all that long before sunset...

[The square; sound of music — fireworks]

CITIZEN 

Oh, but the crowd looks pleased to see the time-honoured ritual at the centre. The hangman turns out for it dressed in black. — wears a mask. He’s always very popular. We sell a great number of small effigies to our young ones.

TOURIST 

Hmm. I might take one home to the kid.

CITIZEN 

Ah! Here he comes now to rig the noose. It’s almost time.

[A side street]

JAILER 

...then I takes you to the scaffold in the square. You’ll enjoy it, I think. They can see you, but they can’t get at you. An’ then we go up the stairs, an’ the ’angman’s waiting for you. All right? Er, I hope I’m not going to have no trouble this time.

VILA 

What d’you mean—this time? I’ve never been hanged before.

JAILER 

Oh, you wouldn’t believe some of them. Kicking an’ screaming an’ that. An’ I have to clock ’em.

VILA 

Do they...do they put a bag over my head?

JAILER 

Oh, bless you, no. It’s the ’angman ’oose face is covered up. Traditional-like. No—half the fun is seeing you white with terror — sweating an’ that. Always gets a good laugh. [cheers in background] Ooh! That’ll be the king coming out on the balcony. Not long now.

[A palace balcony]

AVON 

Can you see the king?

SOOLIN 

If I lean right out. Oh, — here comes Vila. He’s got his h—s tied behind his back. Only one man with him, some sort of jailer.

AVON 

Is the king wearing the diadem?

SOOLIN 

Yes! — Servalan’s with him. [laughter from spectators] The hangman’s putting the noose on. [drumroll] Any moment now. St— by. [drumroll gets louder, thud of trapdoor opening, cheers] Go! [sound of gunfire — cries]

[The royal balcony]

SERVALAN 

The rope’s broken! He’s just fallen through!

GHEBLAKON 

— the hangman’s jumped after him. Oh, well done. What fun! A chase! Fl—ar?

FL—AR 

Your majesty?

GHEBLAKON 

Get down there — find out what’s— [the door opens] Oh, ah!

AVON 

Please forgive the intrusion.

SERVALAN 

Vledka!

SOOLIN 

Oh, no you don’t! [she shoots him, Vledka cries out — falls] The rest of you, h—s in the air or you’re dead.

GHEBLAKON 

Oop. She means it!

AVON 

Of course, you can read our minds. Then you know what I want.

GHEBLAKON 

There you are, lad. [he gives Avon the diadem]

SERVALAN 

No!

GHEBLAKON 

Just how I got it. He’s beaten us fair — square. Eh?

AVON 

Take us up, Dayna. Ready, Soolin?

SOOLIN 

Yes.

AVON 

[as they teleport] Goodbye...Servalan...

SERVALAN 

You fool! Why didn’t you use the power of the diadem to stop him?

[Somewhere in the city]

TARRANT 

In here. The table, quick!

VILA 

Not easy with my h—s tied behind my—

TARRANT 

All right, all right, I’ll do it. [he braces the table against the door]

VILA 

Could you cut my wrists free?

TARRANT 

That’ll hold them long enough.

VILA 

Cut me free!

TARRANT 

Right. [he does so]

VILA 

Why didn’t you tell me you were the hangman?

TARRANT 

Shut up — put the bracelet on. Right, Dayna, bring us up.

DAYNA 

A pleasure.

[teleport malfunctions, cutting in — out]

VILA 

Not again!

DAYNA 

I’ll have to bring you up one at a time.

[palace guards are banging on the barricaded door]

VILA 

Me first! [Tarrant teleports, the banging gets louder] That’s not fair, why is it always— [the door begins to give] Oh, God! Hurry!

DAYNA 

Bringing you up now.

[the guards break through the door]

[Scorpio]

DAYNA 

It’s no good. It’s dead.

AVON 

It’s like waking up for the first time in my life.

DAYNA 

What?

SOOLIN 

Avon, take that off! Vila’s still on the surface.

AVON 

Soolin. You’re really concerned. I only have to look at you — I can hear your thoughts as if you were speaking them aloud.

TARRANT 

Slave, can you fix the teleport?

SLAVE 

An interesting question, master. My inefficiency in that regard so far leads me to the conclusion that—

DAYNA 

Be quiet, Slave, — do something.

SLAVE 

Very good, mistress. Though what I can do—

DAYNA 

Just get on with it.

[Gheblakon’s palace]

GHEBLAKON 

I’m very angry with you, boy. Angry — disappointed. Eh? I was very lenient with you, a nice quick clean hanging. — how have you repaid me? What am I going to do now?

VILA 

Don’t ask me, I’m hopeless at guessing games.

SERVALAN 

Your majesty.

GHEBLAKON 

Eh?

SERVALAN 

May I make a suggestion?

GHEBLAKON 

Mm!

[Scorpio]

AVON 

This is incredible. Now I’m wearing the diadem, I can read Professor Kapple’s text, — the hieroglyphics on the drawing. If what it says is true, it’s beyond anything that any of us could begin to imagine. Listen. If the diadem...no, it must be, if the diadem is replaced in its position on the sevenfold crown, then the gateway will be opened ——

SLAVE 

Ah, mistress, I’ve doubled the power input. Try it now.

DAYNA 

[opening bracelet comms] Vila. St— by.

SOOLIN 

It’s working! [Servalan appears] You!

SERVALAN 

Did you really think I’d give up so easily?

AVON 

That presumably is Vila’s bracelet.

SERVALAN 

It is.

SOOLIN 

Put up your h—s!

SERVALAN 

— if I don’t?

AVON 

You’d be very foolish. You’re entirely at our mercy.

SERVALAN 

I think not. Avon, please explain to your lovely friend why her gun is utterly useless in this situation.

AVON 

Ah, yes. The psychokinetic power of the stone on your neck, the stone that is missing from the diadem of power. [the stone pops from its position]

SERVALAN 

My stone... [whooshing noise as the stone flies to the diadem] Give me back my stone!

AVON 

It’s in its rightful place at last. Ahhhh. I feel like a giant. Now I can freeze you where you st—. Ah! [he laughs] So that’s your plan!

TARRANT 

Avon, what’s going on?

AVON 

Her thoughts, I can see, no no, I can hear them. I can hear the paltry scheme she had to blackmail me.

DAYNA 

What was it?

AVON 

Tell them, Servalan. — then I shall kill you.

SERVALAN 

I doubt it. You see, I suggested to King Gheblakon that it would be a great boost to his tourist trade if he should stage a real medieval hanging complete with drawing — quartering. You know, the entrails are ripped from the still-living body, which is then hacked—

DAYNA 

All right, we get the picture.

SERVALAN 

Your friend’s head would make a simply ducky little souvenir for somebody. Wouldn’t you agree?

AVON 

Vila’s life in exchange for the diadem? Ridiculous.

SERVALAN 

Oh, I knew that you would never agree. But your companions...

DAYNA 

Yes, Avon, I could—

AVON 

No need to say. Remember I can read your thoughts? So you couldn’t jump me, Tarrant, — Soolin—you can take your h— away from your gun. You astound me, all of you. The life of a worthless petty failure for the chance to control the empire.

DAYNA 

We’ll never agree. I’ll kill when I have to, but no man’s life is worthless, — Vila is...Vila is Vila!

AVON 

How very touching. Well, well, well. I seem to have been outvoted.

SERVALAN 

You see? I was betting on a certainty. [she takes the diadem] Thank you. — now, my dear, if you would be so kind...

DAYNA 

What? Oh. Of course. [she teleports Servalan]

TARRANT 

Huh. I’d never have believed it.

AVON 

Don’t get any ideas. I’m playing for even bigger stakes, — I’m going to need you lot. We’re going on a journey deeper into the galaxy than we’ve ever been. The diadem with its seven stones is only the top part of a larger crown, a crown with seven circles of stones. If the coronet were to be restored to its rightful position, its power would be multiplied a million times. I... [he laughs] ...we shouldn’t only control the empire, but the galaxy itself—

[the teleport comms chime]

VILA 

Dayna. Bring me up, will you?

[Dayna teleports him]

SOOLIN 

Vila! Are you all right?

VILA 

She said I wasn’t worth the trouble of killing. [Soolin sighs in relief] Me! I tell you, I’m staying home next time. I’m famished. Anybody want a burger?

SOOLIN 

— where is this...crown?

AVON 

The sevenfold crown, it’s called. It’s all here. Here in this document. When I put on that coronet, I found I could read...ah, you see it’s gone, they’re just hieroglyphics again.

TARRANT 

So, you don’t know where it is.

AVON 

Dev...Devarni. There was something about the Devarni, the glorious ones, — the pyramid, the seven-sided pyramid, which was made of solid agate —... no no no no, it’s gone.

DAYNA 

Orac helped us before. Orac. Dear, clever Orac, have you ever heard of the Devarni?

ORAC 

I have.

AVON 

Then tell us.

ORAC 

Again, self-preservation compels me to underpin the tottering edifice of the so-called human intellect. If Servalan were to reach the sevenfold crown before you, my extrapolation of the situation that would then obtain leads me inexorably to the conclusion that this ship — all its contents would be destroyed, including me. In order to obviate such a disaster, may I suggest we start our journey? Even in hyperspace, it will be a long one, many thous—s of light-years away from the puny scattering of stars the Federation likes to call the Galactic Empire.

AVON 

You know which planet contains the sevenfold crown?

ORAC 

These are the coordinates: 7342 1535 2649 5473.

[Avon enters the coordinates as they are given]

AVON 

Slave. Have you loaded that position?

SLAVE 

Er, yes master. St—ing by, master.

AVON 

Execute. [they enter hyperspace] Orac. How do you know this?

ORAC 

Through your mind, when you were wearing the circlet of jewels, — since my memory is designed to be perfect, unlike the piece of meat which masquerades as a brain in the human species—

AVON 

Yes, yes, that’ll do.

TARRANT 

So, who are the Devarni?

ORAC 

There have been traces of the rule of the Devarni found on many planets over the years.

[at the same time, a door slides open]

VILA 

You might warn me when you’re going into hyper. You know it always makes me queasy, I’ve brought up half my dinner!

AVON 

Vila, go away. Yes, Orac.

ORAC 

According to the document, they ruled the whole of this galaxy, not just a small star cluster as the Federation does, but the entire galaxy, for many billions of years, long before Earth was formed. The crown in the centre of the pyramid was that of the emperor, — not just the symbol of his power, but its very real source.

SOOLIN 

— are the Devarni extinct, like the dinosaurs?

ORAC 

A very foolish comparison. [Soolin sighs] They still exist in the very centre of the galaxy.

SOOLIN 

In the singularity of the black hole? They’d be crushed.

ORAC 

They no longer have bodies to be crushed. To quote the pictograms on the seven-sided pyramid in the drawing: ‘The glorious ones are become pure being, resting in the infinity of the timeless present.’

AVON 

Good. Then they’re not very likely to be interested in us. — the one who dons that crown will inherit their power. It’s unimaginable.

TARRANT 

— you’ve already decided who that one will be. It’s a dream, Avon, a gr—iose dream. — if it’s not, you won’t have much need of us then, will you?

AVON 

I’d share the power. If I were to be emperor, then you’d be a king.

TARRANT 

[laughs] Yes, don’t forget—we’ve had a demonstration of your tender concern for one of our number already today.

SOOLIN 

Yes, Avon. Tarrant is right.

DAYNA 

He certainly is. We should we help you?

AVON 

Please yourselves. I would merely point out however that if Servalan gets there first, you won’t have the choice.

[The Devarni planet; Tarrant teleports down]

TARRANT 

[turns on bracelet comms] Scorpio. Scorpio, come in. Do you copy, Vila?

VILA 

I copy. No trouble?

TARRANT 

Like stepping out of the front door.

[Scorpio]

VILA 

I’ll stick with one at a time though. Just to be on the safe side. Soolin?

SOOLIN 

Ready.

[Vila teleports her; the teleport cuts in — out]

AVON 

What’s wrong with the thing now? Slave?

SLAVE 

I don’t underst— it, master. I’ve overcome the trouble with the energy store by bypassing it completely, connecting directly to the primary drive cell, but it still seems underpowered.

VILA 

[opening bracelet comms] Soolin? All right?

SOOLIN 

Yes. You’d better bring your crossbow, Dayna. Sounds like we could have fresh game for our supper.

DAYNA 

Oh, right!

VILA 

Ready, Avon?

AVON 

Now, get it right. [the teleport malfunctions again] What is going on?

SLAVE 

I’m deeply sorry, master. I’m beginning to think the operation of this device is beyond my humble powers. Perhaps—

AVON 

Slave, enough! Orac. Have you any idea why this contraption has stopped working?

ORAC 

Oh yes, indeed.

AVON 

Well?

SLAVE 

You wish me to tell you?

AVON 

Orac. Tell me why I was not teleported to the surface.

ORAC 

Certainly. The earlier trouble stemmed from the fact that the new energy cells you installed will have too high a rating. Therefore the overload cut-out came into play, — the energy store was depleted. Slave then bypassed this cut-out. The full power of the primary cell was delivered to the operational matrix. Inevitably the dissolution cut-out came into play. The result of this—

AVON 

I didn’t ask for a reading from the manual. Can we use it?

ORAC 

Indeed. Since 98.032 percent of the energy from the cell was used up in the overload, it cannot happen again. In the circumstances you may even revert to multiple operation.

AVON 

Good. Dayna, we’ll go down together.

ORAC 

I would however point out that the parameters of the replication pha—

[Avon removes Orac's key — gives it to Vila]

AVON 

Here. You’d better have Orac’s key. Now take us down. — get this heap of junk out of sight into hyperspace. If Servalan turns up... Return in an hour, real time. We’ll keep the communication channels open. We may need to come up in a hurry.

VILA 

Ready? Ready, Dayna?

DAYNA 

Ready.

AVON 

Get on with it.

[Vila teleports them, — opens bracelet comms]

VILA 

Come in, Avon. Do you copy?

AVON 

I copy. There’s no sign of the others.

VILA 

What?

AVON 

Tarrant — Soolin are not here.

VILA 

Maybe something else has a taste for fresh game. See you later. Out.

AVON 

Tarrant? Soolin?

DAYNA 

They must have gone ahead to the pyramid. Look! You can just see the top of it over that giant fern thing.

VILA 

Slave, turn the volume down.

SLAVE 

Yes, master.

DAYNA 

Yes! There’s their track.

SLAVE 

I cannot tell you how mortified I am, master, that I should have been—

VILA 

Pipe down, — st— by for the hyper-jump. — say a prayer for my second dinner.

SLAVE 

Insufficient fuel, master.

VILA 

Then change to the reserve cell.

SLAVE 

Yes, master. Of course, master. Ready, master. How could I have been so negligent in my duties, it should be my constant...

VILA 

Execute!  Oooooh!

[Scorpio enters hyperspace]

[On the planet]

DAYNA 

You know, I think there are buildings under these heaps of greenery. Yes, I can see a doorway! Pretty funny people they must have been, that door is only two feet high!

AVON 

— six feet wide, yes. Some sort of creeping thing, the aboriginals of this place. I should think the Devarni were more humanoid.

DAYNA 

Why?

AVON 

If you want to wear a crown, get a head. — the creatures who lived in those stone huts never built that pyramid. Just look at that.

DAYNA 

[sighs] It’s...it’s beautiful. It makes me feel...ah...ah...it seems to be glowing!

AVON 

The light of the sun is refracted through the agate. Even the Egyptians couldn’t have built anything so magnificent.

DAYNA 

There are the others!

AVON 

Where?

DAYNA 

Coming round that mound on the left.

AVON 

There’s somebody with them.

DAYNA 

It’s...it’s you!

AVON 

Get down! Don’t let them see you. It must be an illusion, an hallucination.

DAYNA 

Unless... They have seen us! The other Avon’s pointing this way.

AVON 

It’s one of Servalan’s stupid tricks. She must have got here first after all. Only one way to find out. Come on.

DAYNA 

They’re arguing about something. [the other group fires at them] Look out! That’s no illusion! Look at that lump it’s taken out of that tree!

AVON 

Take cover!

[more gunfire]

DAYNA 

Ah!

AVON 

Unless...unless what? What were you going to say just now?

DAYNA 

Unless it’s an —roid that Servalan’s had made, a duplicate of you.

AVON 

You’ve got it! She knew that I’d think it was a psionic hallucination — ignore it. It nearly worked, too. If it could hold its fire for a few more minutes—

DAYNA 

But why? What could she hope to gain?

AVON 

It’s meant to deal with me while she finds the crown — replaces the diadem on it. — when the thing’s killed the two of us, it’ll finish off Tarrant — Soolin. She’ll have a clear field. They’re going inside. Come on. We’ve got to destroy that thing before it destroys us.