Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Marco Polo
Original Airdate: 22 Feb, 1964
[Snowfield]
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[Mountainside]
[Snowfield]
[Mountainside]
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[Tent]
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[Tent]
(Day)
POLO: So, this is your caravan?
IAN: Yes, the Doctor calls it the Tardis.
POLO: Where are the wheels?
IAN: It doesn't have any.
POLO: Then how does it move?
IAN: Through the air.
TEGANA: Did I not say they that they were evil spirits?
POLO: Are you of the Buddhist faith?
IAN: No, why?
POLO: Well, at the Khan's court in Peking, I have seen Buddhist monks make cups of wine fly through
the air unaided and offer themselves to the Great Khan's lips. I do not understand it, but I have seen it.
There is room for all of you inside here, Miss Wright?
BARBARA: Yes.
POLO: And one enters here?
BARBARA: It's locked.
POLO: Where is the key?
BARBARA: The Doctor has it, and you wouldn't let him come up here.
POLO: Oh yes, he has the mountain sickness. Have you the power to make it fly?
IAN: No, only the Doctor has that power.
POLO: Why is it here?
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[Tent]
POLO [OC]: Success. My plan has worked. The strangers and their unusual caravan accompany me
to Lop. Our route takes us across the Roof of the World, down to the Kashgar Valley and southeast to
Tarkand. Here we join the Old Silk Road, along which the commerce and culture of a thousand years
has travelled to and from Cathay. I wonder what the strangers' reaction will be when I tell them what I
propose to do?
[Lodgings]
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POLO: My caravan is large, Yeng, so I shall need plenty of food and water before venturing out into the
Gobi Desert.
(Yeng leaves. Susan and Ping-Cho come down the stairs)
POLO: Is the accommodation to your liking, Ping-Cho?
PING-CHO: Thank you, Messer Marco. It is most comfortable.
SUSAN: Oh, I think it's fab.
PING-CHO: Fab? What is that, Susan?
SUSAN: Well, it's, it means wonderful! It's a verb we often use on Earth.
DOCTOR: Oh, Messer Marco, these way-stations, do you have many of these in Cathay?
POLO: Yes, the Khan has them dotted at regular intervals throughout his domain. Those who work in
his service and wear the Khan's gold seal have the right to demand anything they may require.
Provisions, horses, shelter.
SUSAN: May I have a look, please?
POLO: Of course.
SUSAN: Thank you.
IAN: Doctor.
DOCTOR: Yes?
IAN: They've set the Tardis up in the courtyard.
DOCTOR: Oh, excellent, excellent. If you'll pardon me, I have a lot of work to do and
(The Doctor tries to get into the Tardis, but is stopped by Mongol soldiers. He goes back inside)
DOCTOR: What does this mean?
POLO: Please sit down, Doctor.
DOCTOR: I don't wish to sit down. I want you to call your guards off.
POLO: Please be seated.
DOCTOR: No.
POLO: I beg you to hear me out.
DOCTOR: But I have work to do.
BARBARA: I think, perhaps, we should listen to him. Come on.
DOCTOR: Oh, very well.
POLO: My home is Venice. I left there with my father and my uncle to come to Cathay in twelve
seventy one. The journey to Peking took us three and a half years. When I arrived at the Khan's court,
I was twenty one. I was an alert young man, good at languages, and willing to learn. The Khan liked
me.
DOCTOR: Oh, really?
POLO: On my twenty fifth birthday, I was given an appointment in the Khan's service.
BARBARA: Twelve seventy seven.
POLO: It was, as you say, twelve seventy seven. Since then, I have travelled to every corner of his
domain and beyond it. Two years ago, my father, my uncle and I asked the Khan for permission to go
home. He refused. I think we had all served him too well.
DOCTOR: Well, I really don't see what this has to do with my repairing the Tardis.
POLO: Doctor, I have not seen my home for eighteen years. I want to go back.
DOCTOR: Well, ask the Khan again.
POLO: I intend to. This time, I shall offer him a gift so magnificent that he will not be able to refuse me.
IAN: You mean to give the Doctor's caravan to him?
POLO: Yes.
DOCTOR: You're mad.
POLO: You can make another.
DOCTOR: What? In Peking, or Shang Tu?
POLO: You do me an injustice, Doctor. I will not leave you stranded in Cathay, just as I did not let you
die on the mountain. No, you will come with me to Venice and make another one there.
DOCTOR: Oh, you think so, really? Oh no. Oh no.
IAN: Marco, it's impossible.
POLO: Surely, for a man who possesses a flying caravan, all things are possible?
IAN: No. We need special metals, materials, things that don't exist in Venice. I'm afraid you don't
understand all the problems involved.
DOCTOR: And neither do you, young man.
POLO: Well, travel home by ship. We trade with every port in the world. It may take you longer, but
you'll get there eventually.
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DOCTOR: Eventually. He doesn't know what he's talking about. The man's a lunatic. Ho.
POLO: No, Doctor, desperate. There are many men who are jealous of the Polo influence at court, and
the Khan suffers from an affliction for which there is no cure.
BARBARA: What's that?
POLO: Old age. If he dies, I may never see Venice again.
DOCTOR: Well, that is your problem, not mine.
POLO: I have just made it yours, Doctor.
BARBARA: But you do see Venice again, Marco, I know you do.
IAN: What makes you so sure that the Doctor's caravan is a suitable present? The Doctor is the only
one who can fly it.
POLO: I told you about the Buddhist monks. They will discover its secret. A caravan that flies. Do you
imagine what this will mean to the Khan? It will make him the most powerful ruler the world has ever
known. Stronger than Hannibal. Mightier than Alexander the Great.
IAN: Marco, you don't understand.
POLO: I refuse to listen you to any more. My mind is made up. Your caravan goes with me to Kublai
Khan.
BARBARA: Doctor, come on. Come and sit down.
DOCTOR: Oh well, what a mess.
SUSAN: Grandfather. Grandfather.
DOCTOR: Yes. Go by sea, he says.
SUSAN: Why are you laughing? He means it.
BARBARA: Doctor, he's serious.
DOCTOR: I know he is. Yes.
SUSAN: What are you going to do?
DOCTOR: (in total hysterics) I haven't the faintest idea.
[Alleyway]
POLO [OC]: I have taken charge of the travellers' unusual caravan, and set out into the Gobi Desert.
The journey across this vast ocean of sand is slow and hazardous. To make matters worse, the old
Doctor continually shows his disapproval of my action by being both difficult and bad-tempered. For
three days now, during which time we have covered no more than thirty miles, I have had to endure his
insults.
[Tent]
(night)
IAN: How much water does a caravan like this use crossing the Gobi Desert, Marco?
POLO: We will use one barrel every five days, Ian. I have allowed for eight gourds to carry us across to
the other side.
TEGANA: The bones of many men who thought they had enough lie bleached in the desert sand.
POLO: I think we should exercise some restraint, Tegana. I'm sorry the Doctor wouldn't eat with us this
evening.
SUSAN: Yes, so am I, Messer Marco. I've given him food.
(Susan goes behind a partition)
POLO: A game of chess, Ian?
IAN: Oh, well, I'm not very good, but I'll give you a game.
POLO: I gladly accept your challenge.
BARBARA: What magnificent pieces.
POLO: Yes, I purchased them in Hamutz, on my first journey to Cathay. Now, they go with me
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everywhere.
TEGANA: Do you
SUSAN: I'm sorry, Marco.
(Susan runs out of the tent)
TEGANA: Do you play chess, lady?
BARBARA: Not very well, Tegana. Excuse me.
(Barbara leaves)
TEGANA: I find it a fascinating game of strategy of war. Two equally balanced armies deployed upon a
field of battle, and each commander determined to be the one who cries shah mat.
IAN: Shah mat? Check mate?
TEGANA: It means the king is dead.
[Tent]
(Susan enters)
SUSAN: Ping-Cho?
POLO: Shh. She's gone to bed.
SUSAN: Oh, well, I'll go too then. Goodnight.
POLO: Goodnight, Susan. Sleep well. Now, what was I about to do? Ah yes.
IAN: Ouch.
[Tent]
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(The moon has risen, and the Milky Way is in full view too)
SUSAN: Oh crazy. Hey, Ping-Cho.
PING-CHO: Shh. The guard'll hear you. Crazy?
SUSAN: We like dig it. You know, like it.
PING-CHO: This language of yours is very strange.
(Tegana comes out of the main tent and talks to a guard)
SUSAN: Tegana. Let's follow him.
PING-CHO: He'll be angry.
SUSAN: You're not afraid?
PING-CHO: No. I am not. Come.
[Tent]
[Desert]
[Tent]
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[Desert]
(The girls are cowering in the sandstorm when they hear the name 'Susan' being called in the wind.)
SUSAN: Ping-Cho, what's that? There it is again. It's Ian. I can hear him. Ian! Ian! Ian! We're here. Ian!
(then she screams)
[Tent]
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TEGANA: oh, they weren't with me. I found them, crouched behind a sand dune.
POLO: You were alone?
TEGANA: Well, it was a pleasant night. I decided for a walk. I told the guard. He knew all about it.
POLO: In future, the guards will be told to notify me immediately if any of you wish to leave the camp.
Now go and change. We have to break camp soon.
SUSAN: Yes, Messer Marco.
(Tegana, Ping-Cho and Susan leave)
BARBARA: This has been a terrible experience for us all, Marco. Couldn't we spend one more night
here?
POLO: I'm sorry, Miss Wright.
BARBARA: But surely one day can't make all that much difference?
POLO: One day without progress is one day's water wasted, And in the Gobi Desert that could mean
the difference between life and death.
POLO [OC]: Progress today has been good, although we were all very tired after a sleepless night.
How can I ever repay Tegana for saving Ping-Cho and Susan? We covered fifteen miles before I gave
the order to set up camp for the night.
[Tent]
(In the morning, Polo, Ian and Barbara are surveying the sabotage)
IAN: All of them, Marco?
POLO: Yes, except for the one we're using.
IAN: How much is there left?
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POLO [OC]: Have I made the right decision? Each day, our progress towards the oasis becomes less.
On the first day, we covered twenty miles. On the second, fifteen. The third, ten. The fourth day's total
was eight. Now on the fifth day we have travelled only two miles before the heat of the sun has forced
us to stop. We are nearly exhausted, and our situation is perilous.
[Desert]
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[Oasis]
POLO [OC]: What has happened to Tegana? Is he lost? Perhaps he never found the oasis. But in the
hope he did, I inched our caravan forward through the night. What misery. A bitterly cold wind swept
down from the north and set us shivering as we stumbled on. I fear the end is not far off.
[Camp]
[Tardis]
[Camp]
[Oasis]
POLO: Barbara may have told you that we're leaving here tomorrow, so get all the rest you can today.
You may use your caravan again, but before we leave in the morning, it will be locked and the key
handed over to me.
DOCTOR: Young man, you have no concept of what is happening, have you? And you still don't seem
to realise that you're speaking to a man of superior intellect.
POLO [OC]: My conscience pricks me. I was adamant despite the Doctor's protests, that the key and
his caravan should be handed over to me. Now we journey on across this burning desert and I shall
not rest until I see the temple spires of the city of Tun-Huang.
[Courtyard]
DOCTOR: It seems we shall be stopping here for a while. It means I can get on with more work.
IAN: Huh?
DOCTOR: Repairing the circuit, young man.
IAN: Aren't you forgetting something, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Don't you realise they will be much less vigilant? I shall be able to sneak into the Tardis, no
worry at all.
IAN: Yes, but you've given Marco Polo the key.
DOCTOR: A key, my boy. A key. What use do you think it's going to be to him, hmmm? And where do
you suppose I got that from?
IAN: I have no idea.
DOCTOR: I made it.
IAN: Made it? When?
DOCTOR: On the night of the oasis. Only chance I had. She knows all about it, don't you, Susan?
SUSAN: Yes.
IAN: You crafty old fox.
SUSAN: Grandfather?
DOCTOR: Yes?
SUSAN: What do you know about the Hashashin?
DOCTOR: Well, now, let me think, let me think. Yes, they were some kind of sect. Why?
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SUSAN: Well, Ping-Cho knows a story and she's going to tell us about it.
DOCTOR: Oh, how delightful. Yes, yes, why not?
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MALIK: You shall hear it. You shall hear it. Come, follow me.
(Tegana follows Malik along a passage. Malik twists a stalactite and a secret door opens to reveal...)
[Inner Chamber]
ACOMAT: Welcome.
TEGANA: Acomat! What news from Noghai?
ACOMAT: He has formed his army and marches now for Karakorum.
TEGANA: Good.
ACOMAT: Where he will await news of your success.
TEGANA: I will not fail him.
ACOMAT: You failed at Lop. You were to meet our courier on the third night in the desert.
TEGANA: There was a sandstorm.
ACOMAT: He did not return.
MALIK: Before the courier left, he spoke of gift to Noghai.
TEGANA: Yes, a caravan that flies. It belongs to an old magician who accompanies us. Polo's taking it
to the Kublai Khan.
ACOMAT: With such a caravan, Noghai would be invincible.
TEGANA: Yes, that is why you must capture it. You will attack our caravan as we're going to Shang-Tu.
ACOMAT: It shall be done.
TEGANA: And then, deliver it to Noghai.
ACOMAT: And Polo and those that go with him? What of them? Kill them?
TEGANA: Of course.
(A Mongol whispers to Malik)
MALIK: Did a woman accompany you here?
TEGANA: No.
MALIK: There is one in the outer cave now.
(Barbara is feeling her way along the passage. She gets to the dead end and turns back to the
entrance, where a Mongol is waiting to grab her. Obligatory scream)
POLO: This is the most dangerous thing she could have done! What kind of country do you come from
where a woman can wander alone through the streets at night?
TEGANA: You will never find her alive in Tun-Huang.
IAN: We won't find her sitting here.
POLO: Wait, Ian. We will search together. The city is divided into distinct areas. Tegana, you will take
one, we will take another. We will meet back here in two hours time.
IAN: Let's get started.
DOCTOR: Do you need my help?
POLO: No, Doctor, you stay here. And nobody else move.
(Ian, Polo and Tegana leave)
DOCTOR: Don't worry, child. We'll find her. Don't worry.
[Courtyard]
(It is night, and a spy is watching as the Doctor sneaks across to the Tardis)
SUSAN: Grandfather. Grandfather. Don't worry about Ping-Cho, you can trust her.
DOCTOR: Well, it looks as though I must, doesn't it? What is it, hmm?
SUSAN: We think we might know where Barbara is.
DOCTOR: Oh, where?
PING-CHO: Messer Marco was telling us about the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes.
SUSAN: Yes, and Barbara was very interested. So we thought she might have gone off to a look
without asking anybody, because Messer Marco might have tried to stop her.
DOCTOR: Do you know where this Cave of Five Hundred Eyes is?
PING-CHO: I do not know, my lord, but Chenchu would know.
(the spy comes out of hiding)
DOCTOR: Aha, my friend! And how long have you been lurking there, hmmm?
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CHENCHU: My lord?
TEGANA: Oh, it's you.
CHENCHU: He's gone, my lord.
TEGANA: Gone?
CHENCHU: The old lord has gone. After you had gone, the young ladies approached me. They were
looking for him.
TEGANA: Well, wasn't he in his room?
CHENCHU: Not so, my lord. He was out there. That's where they found him. That's why I came and
told you, my lord. But he forced me to tell him the way to the cave.
TEGANA: What cave?
CHENCHU: He forced me, my lord. He forced me.
TEGANA: What cave!
CHENCHU: The Cave of Five Hundred Eyes.
TEGANA: You fool!
CHENCHU: He forced me.
DOCTOR: A fool's errand, it's a fool's errand, child. That's what you've brought me on. And I had so
much work to do in the Tardis. Now, come along, we mustn't waste any more time here. Barbara's
probably in bed and asleep by now. If you had any sense, where both of you should be.
(Ping-Cho finds a dropped handkerchief.)
PING-CHO: My lord, look.
DOCTOR: Hmmm?
SUSAN: That's Barbara's. She must have been here. Barbara!
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POLO: We were just in time, Tegana. A moment or two later, and she would have been killed.
TEGANA: What is that to you?
POLO: I'm responsible for their safety.
TEGANA: Why not let them go on their way.
POLO: My conscience does not permit it. Look, I took their caravan away from them. The least I can
do is see them safely on their way home.
TEGANA: You think they hold you in such esteem?
POLO: The Doctor, no, with good reason. The others, yes.
TEGANA: Marco, which one leads them?
POLO: The Doctor.
TEGANA: And leaders are obeyed. Has not that cunning Susan already won Ping-Cho from your side?
POLO: She's a child, Tegana.
TEGANA: Only a fool defends his enemies. Be warned, Marco. They will set us at each other's throats
by lies and deceit, and then, when they have divided us, then they will destroy us one by one.
POLO: They are harmless, Tegana.
TEGANA: Harmless? They possess a caravan that flies.
POLO: What power they have is locked inside it, and I have the key.
TEGANA: This very evening, Marco, when we were out looking for this Barbara, Chenchu thought the
old man was in his room and he was not. Marco, he was out there with his caravan.
POLO: What are you saying?
TEGANA: I'm saying, does a magician need a key to open a door?
(Ian, Barbara, Susan and Ping-Cho enter.)
POLO: How are you feeling?
BARBARA: Still bit shaky.
POLO: You realise you're most fortunate to be alive.
BARBARA: Yes, I know.
POLO: Why did you go to the cave? You know my rule about obtaining permission to leave here.
IAN: Tell him, Barbara.
BARBARA: I followed Tegana there.
TEGANA: Me? I've only been there once, and you were there when I arrived.
BARBARA: But that's not true. I followed you there.
TEGANA: I have only been there once.
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POLO [OC]: Poor Susan and Ping-Cho. Yet what alternative had I but to separate them? Now my
caravan seethes with suspicion and discontent as we journey south-west. The route takes us to the
ancient cities of Su-Chow and Kan-Chow, where the Great Wall of Cathay begins. Following the wall,
we travel south to Lan-Chow, which lies on the banks of the Yellow River. Here, our route swings north,
and with the river always in sight, we journey towards Shang-Tu.
[Tent]
DOCTOR: The trouble is, Polo's change of attitude has slowed down my progress on the circuit.
IAN: I think you've done brilliantly to make any progress at all, Doctor.
BARBARA: How much longer do you think you'll need?
DOCTOR: Well, with a bit more time, and a lot of luck, I should say about another night.
BARBARA: But that's marvellous, Doctor.
DOCTOR: The following evening will even be better.
BARBARA: And that's when we say goodbye to Marco Polo.
DOCTOR: Yes, and a jolly good riddance.
BARBARA: Well, I shall be jolly glad to leave here. In fact, the only regrets I'll have will be for Susan.
DOCTOR: What do you mean?
BARBARA: Oh, I think she and Ping-Cho are very fond of each other. It's a pity they've been kept apart
so much.
DOCTOR: It's a pity there was any association at all. That Chinese child makes me nervous.
IAN: What on Earth do you mean?
DOCTOR: She found out about the key.
IAN: What?
DOCTOR: Yes, on the night that Barbara was captured. Susan and Ping-Cho thought Barbara had
gone down to the cave and met with an accident, so they came looking for me just as I was about to
enter the Tardis. It was then Ping-Cho saw the key.
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PING-CHO: What?
SUSAN: I'd forgotten you knew anything about the key.
(But Tegana has been eavesdropping)
POLO [OC]: For the past three days, I have followed the course of the Yellow River as it flows north to
the small town of Sinju, which lies nestled against the Great Wall.
[Tea Room]
ACOMAT: It was your fault. You should have killed them all when you
TEGANA: You listen to me, Acomat, and you listen well. The day after tomorrow, the caravan sets out
to cross the bamboo forest. On the second night, I shall silence the guard, and then when all is well, I
shall signal you with a burning torch. Then you will move in and slaughter them all. But with stealth,
mind you.
ACOMAT: And the magician's caravan?
TEGANA: You will send that on to Noghai, whilst I will continue on to Shang-Tu with terrible stories of
bandit attacks.
ACOMAT: Polo?
TEGANA: Well, I should let Polo die like an old woman in her bed.
ACOMAT: The old magician. How can you kill him?
TEGANA: With a stake through the heart.
(night)
DOCTOR: There isn't very much more to do. I won't be long. Keep your eyes open.
BARBARA: Yes.
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(But there's a guard posted near Tardis, so the Doctor hides and waits until he walks away. Then he
uses the real key to let himself into the Tardis)
(Barbara sees Tegana enter the courtyard and go to look at the Tardis. She goes back inside)
BARBARA: Ian?
(As the Doctor works in the Tardis, Barbara talks to Ian and Susan)
BARBARA: I think Tegana must have seen him going into it.
IAN: Where's Tegana now?
BARBARA: I don't know.
IAN: Stay here.
(Ian looks around the courtyard)
IAN: Not a sign of him. Where's Marco?
SUSAN: He must be in his room.
IAN: Good. Now listen. Go and get the Doctor out of the ship, then hide. I'm going to try a bluff. If it
works, we may be able to turn the tables on Tegana. Now, go quickly.
(Barbara and Susan leaves, then Polo comes down the stairs)
IAN: Ah, Marco, I was just coming to have a word with you.
POLO: What about?
IAN: Well, I should have thought that was pretty obvious.
POLO: Be more explicit, Ian.
IAN: Oh, come on Marco, we're friends aren't we?
POLO: We were.
IAN: Well, why the sudden change? And tell me, why separate Susan and Ping-Cho?
POLO: Susan's a bad influence.
IAN: Oh, you can't really mean that.
POLO: Ping-Cho's first loyalty is to me, yet she backed you against Tegana.
IAN: Perhaps that's because we were telling the truth. It is possible, you know.
POLO: Let me tell you something, Ian. Tegana is a special emissary of Noghai, on his way to talk
peace with Kublai Khan. He's a very important man. You are mysterious travellers from some far off
land I know nothing about. Now, if you were in my position, a servant of Kublai Khan, whose word
would you take?
IAN: Well, I should keep an open mind.
(Tegana enters.)
TEGANA: Marco, I have something rather interesting to show you.
POLO: What is it?
TEGANA: The old magician is in his caravan.
POLO: He's what? Is this true, Ian?
IAN: Well, why don't we go outside and have a look?
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DOCTOR: Put that key in the lock, Polo, and you will destroy the ship. Then where will your precious
Khan be, hmmm? You need more than a key to enter my ship. You need knowledge. Knowledge you
will never possess.
POLO: Tell me.
DOCTOR: No, understand? No! I'd let you wreck it first!
POLO: Guards! Guards!
(The guards have already taken Barbara and Susan)
DOCTOR: Let go of me!
POLO: Bear witness. I wear the gold seal of Kublai Khan, and by the authority it invests in me, I do
hereby seize and hold your caravan in his name. Be warned. Any resistance to this decree is instantly
punishable by death.
DOCTOR: You poor, pathetic, stupid savage.
POLO: Take them away!
TEGANA: Marco, are you now convinced which of us makes trouble?
POLO [OC]: What a nightmare this journey has become. Our progress is impeded because Tegana,
the bearers and I must constantly be on the alert for any signs of trouble from the prisoners, and Ping-
Cho's resentment of me only serves to make my task more difficult. But I have succeeded in keeping
her away from them by setting up a separate tent for the Doctor and his companions.
[Doctor's Tent]
[Bamboo Forest]
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MONGOL: Each one has been told that lord Tegana will wave a burning torch.
ACOMAT: Then we shall watch for it.
IAN: Marco. Marco, wake up. No, no, it's all right. Marco, the guard's dead, I think we're in for a bandit
attack.
POLO: Bandits? Where's Tegana?
IAN: He's outside. I didn't tell him. I thought it best to tell you first.
[Camp]
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TEGANA: Well, where are these bandits if there are any? Why haven't they attacked? I warn you
Marco, if you go in their caravan, they will surely destroy you.
DOCTOR: If you believe that, Polo, you're a bigger fool that even I think you are.
POLO: You deceived me before, Doctor. No, we will not use your caravan. If there are bandits, we
shall fight.
DOCTOR: Well, we're not going to get very far with this overgrown bread knife! We shall have to use
more enterprise than this.
IAN: The Doctor's right, Marco. We need more than these swords. Wait a minute. Perhaps we can
outwit them.
POLO: How?
IAN: We'll use this bamboo.
POLO: Well, what good would that do?
IAN: If we throw it on the fire, it'll expand and blow up. It's a terrifying noise. It's worth a chance, Marco.
POLO: Let us hope time is our ally.
[Bamboo Forest]
ACOMAT: What keeps him then? The moon will soon rise to deny us darkness.
MONGOL: Perhaps he is sleeping.
ACOMAT: True. He is not as young as we are. Tell the others that unless he signals before the moon's
first light, we attack then.
MONGOL: As my lord commands.
ACOMAT: But not with stealth, as lord Tegana wished. We'll make sport of it.
[Camp]
(The Doctor is dozing as Polo and Ian put bamboo by the fire.)
POLO: Does the lamb conceal the wolf, or the wolf the lamb? Were you trying to escape?
IAN: Yes.
POLO: It was very reckless of you.
IAN: It was the only thing we could do.
POLO: Even though failure might have meant death?
IAN: We hoped we'd succeed.
POLO: Tell me, Ian, what were you going to do to me?
IAN: Take the key from you, and use you as a hostage until we were safely at the Tardis.
POLO: Then, I shall have to be more careful in future.
IAN: Marco, I wish I could explain to you how important the Tardis is to us.
POLO: And I wish I could explain to you, Ian, how important it is to me.
IAN: The moon will soon be up.
POLO: Yes, we must gamble that the attack comes now. Tegana, wake the bearers.
TEGANA: They are alert, Marco.
IAN: All three of them, that makes seven. We can wake the Doctor. Marco, the bamboo will need time
to heat up.
POLO: Yes, we must gamble that the attack comes now.
(They put bamboo on the fire)
TEGANA: There are no bandits! This was all a ruse.
(A flock of birds rises.)
IAN: A ruse, Tegana?
POLO: Good luck, Ian.
IAN: Doctor, wake up. The bandits.
(They take up their weapons and wait. Then the Mongols attack.)
ACOMAT: So, the mighty War Lord is awake!
(Tegana kills Acomat. The bamboo starts exploding, and the Mongols run back into the forest)
IAN: They're running! They're running! We've won! We've won!
SUSAN: What was the explosion?
POLO: Bamboo. The bandits thought there were devils in the fire, and fled.
DOCTOR: No, it wasn't the devils in the fire. Their leader was killed. That's why they broke up and ran.
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POLO [OC]: At sunrise, we buried the dead, broke camp, travelled to the edge of the bamboo forest,
and out beyond it onto the plain. But at midday, as we were all tired after the events of the previous
night, I ordered a halt.
[Tent]
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(Marco Polo hides the Tardis keys in the spine of his journal as Ping-Cho enters)
POLO: What is it, Ping-Cho?
PING-CHO: A courier from the great Khan has arrived, Messer Marco.
POLO: Ask him to wait, please. I'll be with him in a moment. Ping-Cho, do I have your word not to tell
anyone where these keys are?
PING-CHO: Yes, Messer Marco.
[Tent]
POLO [OC]: My only concern now is to reach the Summer Palace as quickly as possible. So within an
hour, we were on the move again, and on the sixth day of our journey, the spires of Cheng-Ting could
be seen on our horizon. By later afternoon, we had arrived at the way station of the White City, as
Cheng-Ting is often called.
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WANG-LO: And how long will you honour us with your presence, my lord?
POLO: We have to ride to Shang-Tu tomorrow.
WANG-LO: Oh, how sad. Good day, my gracious ladies. Cheng-Ting is so delightful at this time of the
year.
DOCTOR: Well, where is it?
POLO: What?
DOCTOR: The Tardis. Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear.
WANG-LO: I was advised of your pending arrival, my lord Marco, by a courier who passed this way
from Shang-Tu.
DOCTOR: Polo?
POLO: What is it now?
DOCTOR: I thought you said the Tardis was to be placed in the courtyard.
WANG-LO: To what does the old lord refer?
POLO: His caravan.
WANG-LO: Oh, that's what it is! I had it moved.
DOCTOR: Where to?
WANG-LO: The stables, my lord.
DOCTOR: The stables.
WANG-LO: Well, I could hardly leave it in the hanging garden, my lord, now could I?
POLO: It'll be safe enough there, Doctor. What, when does the next commerce caravan leave for
Shang-Tu?
WANG-LO: The day after tomorrow, my lord.
POLO: Will you see that all the baggage goes with it, including that caravan?
WANG-LO: I shall make it a personal duty, my lord Marco. And now, if you step this way, I'll escort you
to your apartment.
POLO: Thank you.
(Wang-Lo and Polo leave)
DOCTOR: I could hardly have it placed in the hanging garden, now could I? What does he think it is? A
potting shed, or something.
BARBARA: Well it's better there than in the courtyard, Doctor. At least it's out of sight.
[Stables]
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[Tardis]
IAN: All right, Doctor, close the doors. Wait! Where's Susan? Where is she?
BARBARA: She must have gone to say goodbye to Ping-Cho.
DOCTOR: What on Earth does that child think she's doing? Great Olympus!
IAN: Don't panic. Give her a second. I knocked out the guard.
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[Stables]
(Susan sneaks across the courtyard to the stables, and is almost at the Tardis when Tegana grabs
her.)
SUSAN: Grandfather!
[Stables]
(The Doctor, Ian and Barbara have watched Tegana grab Susan on the scanner. Ian goes out)
IAN: Tegana.
TEGANA: Stand still.
IAN: Let her go.
TEGANA: No.
IAN: Let us all go, I appeal to you. What possible difference could it make to you? You hate Marco.
TEGANA: Is the old man inside the caravan?
IAN: Yes.
TEGANA: And the other woman?
IAN: Yes.
TEGANA: Tell them to come out. Do as I command!
(The Doctor and Barbara come out, and Polo arrives on the scene)
DOCTOR: There is no need.
POLO: What's happened?
TEGANA: They would all have escaped if I had not caught this one.
DOCTOR: Tell that man to take his hands off my grandchild.
POLO: The key first, Doctor. (The Doctor hands it over) Release her, Tegana.
(Tegana goes to stab the Doctor)
POLO: What are you?
TEGANA: Let me kill them, and be done with it.
POLO: We will kill no-one.
TEGANA: Are you mad? They will only escape again.
POLO: I don't think so.
(Tegana leaves and Ping-Cho arrives)
SUSAN: I'm sorry, Grandfather.
DOCTOR: So long as you're safe, Susan. That's all that matters.
POLO: Where did you get this key, Doctor?
PING-CHO: Messer Marco
IAN: I took it.
POLO: You did?
IAN: Yes, I searched your room last night.
POLO: I see.
IAN: What are you going to do about it?
POLO: Tomorrow morning at dawn, we ride for Shang-Tu. When next you see your caravan, it will be
at the great Khan's Summer Palace, and that will make an end of it.
POLO [OC]: A day of hard riding. We left Cheng-Ting at dawn, and by dusk had covered forty miles. As
this is a densely populated area of Cathay, accommodation is not hard to find, and we have stopped
for the night at an inn. Our baggage, including the Doctor's caravan, is following on with a trade
caravan.
[Inn]
POLO: Well?
IAN: Marco, you must give us back the Tardis.
POLO: Is that what you want to talk to me about?
IAN: Yes.
POLO: Look, I've told you before, Ian. You know what this caravan means to me. If I give it to the
Khan, he'll let me go home.
IAN: But we want to go home too, Marco. And we can't go home without the Tardis.
POLO: I have offered to take you back to Venice with me, and see you safely on your way home from
there.
IAN: By boat. We can't go by boat, Marco, we need the Tardis.
POLO: Why, Ian? Why?
IAN: All right, I'll tell you why. And I'll tell you the truth. I don't suppose you'll believe it, but still. As I told
you, I come from England. Barbara as well.
POLO: Well, I grant you England's a long way, but the journey's not impossible, Ian. The Crusaders did
it.
IAN: The Crusaders? Oh, Marco. To me, the Crusaders lived seven hundred years ago.
POLO: What are you talking about, Ian? The Crusaders were in the Holy Land twenty five years ago.
IAN: I come from another time. Our caravan, it not only covers distance, it can cross time.
POLO: Travel into the past and the future?
IAN: Yes. I know it's difficult to believe, but it's the truth.
POLO: On my travels to Cathay, Ian, I have come to believe many things which I previously doubted.
For instance, when I was a boy in Venice, they told me that in Cathay there was a stone which burned.
I did not believe them, but there is such a stone. I have seen it.
IAN: It's black, isn't it.
POLO: Yes.
IAN: Coal.
POLO: In Cathay, we call it the burning stone. And if a stone burns, why not a caravan that flies? Birds
fly. I have even seen fish that fly. You are asking me to believe that your caravan can defy the passage
of the sun? Move not merely from one place to another, but from today into tomorrow, today into
yesterday? No, Ian. That I cannot accept.
IAN: I'm telling you the truth, Marco.
POLO: Are you, Ian?
IAN: I swear it.
POLO: (holding out the Tardis key) Where did you get that?
IAN: From your room.
POLO: Whereabouts? Where had I hidden it? Come, Ian, surely you know where you found it? You
didn't find it, did you? It was given to you, and you lied about finding it to protect Ping-Cho. Ian, don't
you see it doesn't matter to me why you lied. What is important is the fact that you are capable of lying.
IAN: So you don't believe me when I say I came from another time.
POLO: If I did Ian, I would give you the key.
[Inn]
(Next day)
BARBARA: Well?
IAN: There's no sign of her.
BARBARA: She must have run away. But why?
IAN: Because of that key, obviously.
SUSAN: I'm sorry, Messer Marco, I didn't hear a word.
POLO: I'm not blaming you, Susan, but we must find her and quickly.
BARBARA: Susan, have you any idea where she'd go? Well, speak up.
POLO: There are robbers and cut-throats on the road.
SUSAN: I, I think she might have tried to reach home.
POLO: Samarkand? But that's a thousand miles from here.
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WANG-LO: When the embroiderers arrive, take them straight to the lady May-Chin. My ladies, I cannot
tell you how wonderful it is to.
(He sees someone with an eyepatch waving at him.) Please forgive us. Excuse me. What do you
want?
KUIJU: The trade caravan to Shang-Tu.
WANG-LO: Where is the other man?
KUIJU: The old man is very ill. It's my authority to collect the
WANG-LO: I see. I've got eyes. It's in the stables.
KUIJU: Hey! Give that to me!
WANG-LO: Now, about your business!
KUIJU: The old man is a fool.
WANG-LO: (to other travellers) Please follow me.
(Ping-Cho approaches Kuiju as he heads for the Tardis)
PING-CHO: My lord?
KUIJU: Yes.
PING-CHO: Are you with the caravan, my lord?
KUIJU: I am, my lady.
PING-CHO: Is your caravan bound for Samarkand?
KUIJU: It might. Why?
PING-CHO: I would like to journey with your caravan, unless it is going to Shang-Tu.
KUIJU: It's possible.
PING-CHO: I can pay.
KUIJU: Come to think of it, we do strike inland. I'll talk to the commander of the caravan.
PING-CHO: Shall I come with you?
KUIJU: No, you wait here. Give me the money. (she does) Don't worry, little one. I'll arrange it.
(Later, when Kuiju has not returned.)
WANG-LO: You paid money? You foolish child. You have been robbed.
PING-CHO: Robbed? What shall I do? It was all the money I had.
WANG-LO: Haven't I seen you before? Not long since. I know. You were with Messer Marco Polo's
caravan.
PING-CHO: No, my lord, no.
WANG-LO: What have you done, child? Run away? Oh.
(Ian enters, and she runs to him)
IAN: Ping-Cho, why did you do it?
PING-CHO: The key. And I can't marry a man old enough to be my grandfather. I can't. Please don't
take me back. Please.
IAN: I must, Ping-Cho. I promised Marco.
WANG-LO: I knew I'd seen her before, my lord. Silly child let herself be robbed.
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IAN: What?
WANG-LO: Oh, some villain, posing as a caravan driver, took all her money on the promise of letting
her travel inland with the caravan.
IAN: Where did you meet this man?
PING-CHO: Here.
WANG-LO: At my way station? Impossible.
PING-CHO: No, my lord, he was in the courtyard with you.
WANG-LO: Oh, that one! But he was going to Shang-Tu. I have the document authorising him to take
the old lord's caravan from the stables. Here it is.
IAN: So the Tardis is on the road to Shang-Tu, eh?
WANG-LO: Yes, my lord.
(The caravan driver arrives)
DRIVER: The trade caravan to Shang-Tu, excellency. There is something here for us to take.
WANG-LO: Oh, but the other man said you were ill.
DRIVER: What other man?
WANG-LO: The one that took the old lord's caravan.
DRIVER: But here is my authorisation.
WANG-LO: But. But.
IAN: What's the matter?
WANG-LO: Oh, nothing, my lord. Just a slight confusion. I'm sure it can be rectified.
IAN: It's been stolen. The Tardis has been stolen!
POLO [OC]: I hope all is well and Ian has found Ping-Cho. Our progress towards Shang-Tu continues
to be excellent, and we are now beyond the Great Wall, spending the fourth night of our journey at an
inn about fifty miles from the Summer Palace.
[Another Inn]
TEGANA: You trust too much, and doubt too little! Marco, let me go back after him.
POLO: I will not agree to this.
TEGANA: But, Marco!
POLO: Look, it's no good. How will it appear if I stand before the Khan without you? You speak for
Noghai. Silence could mean war.
TEGANA: But
POLO: You must be at the Summer Palace. You must be, I say.
TEGANA: Marco, the magician's caravan. Why do you think Ian offered so readily, so, so eagerly to go
back after Ping-Cho?
POLO: What's your point?
TEGANA: Ping-Cho could be anywhere. The chances of finding her are very small. But, Ian knows
where the caravan is. He knows exactly where it is.
POLO: You're wrong, Tegana. I think I know something of Ian's character.
TEGANA: You can't know it all. Marco, just give me a strong horse. Now, by using your name, I can
bring them both back to you. I can bring the girl to you, and the caravan will be safe. You need the
caravan. Because when peace is concluded with Kublai Khan, he might very well exchange this
magician's caravan for your return to Venice.
TEGANA: Ah, all their sympathies are with Ping-Cho. They are all against this marriage.
POLO: Then why did Ian go back to look for her?
TEGANA: Exactly.
(Susan and Barbara enter, laughing.)
TEGANA: I'm glad to see that your humour is not impaired by our misfortune.
BARBARA: What do you mean? What misfortune?
TEGANA: Well, your friend Ian has not returned. We can only assume that he's failed to find Ping-Cho.
BARBARA: Oh, you haven't given him enough time yet.
SUSAN: Anyway, I'm glad. I hope he doesn't.
TEGANA: Oh, I see. You want to see her alone, do you? Without friends? She might be kidnapped,
murdered.
SUSAN: Well, that won't happen to her. She's got money. She can buy a safe passage home.
TEGANA: Money! Are we all sit in fear for her, and her intended husband sits in despair?
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SUSAN: Oh, even you couldn't be so cruel as to want her to marry a man four times her age.
TEGANA: Even I? I thank you, lady. And this is your opinion too, I suppose?
BARBARA: I suppose so.
POLO: One moment. Are you opposed to Ping-Cho's marriage?
BARBARA: Look, why are we
POLO: Answer my question please.
BARBARA: Yes I am. Completely opposed to it.
TEGANA: How very unusual for you and Ian to disagree.
BARBARA: It isn't unusual at all. We don't agree about everything. And in this case, we're in complete
agreement. All of us.
POLO: This marriage has the Khan's blessing. Am I to understand that you oppose it? Am I?
BARBARA: Yes.
POLO: All four of you?
BARBARA: Yes, all four of us.
POLO: Take your horse, Tegana. You have my leave to go. Use my name or such powers as you will,
but bring them both to the Summer Palace!
TEGANA: I shall do so.
SUSAN: Why did you do that?
POLO: To make certain.
SUSAN: Certain of what?
POLO: That Ian has gone back to look for Ping-Cho, and not your caravan.
IAN: I've got to find it. I've got to. But where?
PING-CHO: Perhaps it is still here.
IAN: No, no, Ping-Cho. We should have heard. No, it's been taken, all right. Is must have been taken
by some old road. Some route that's no longer used.
PING-CHO: The Karakorum road.
IAN: Karakorum? But Karakorum's the capital of the Mongol empire.
PING-CHO: Not any more. Not since the Khan built his palace at Peking.
IAN: Yes, but it'll still be an important place. I mean, caravans'll still go there.
PING-CHO: Karakorum was not a city of stone. It was just a collection of tents. When the Khan moved,
the Mongols dispersed.
IAN: So the road isn't used any more?
PING-CHO: Never.
IAN: Then, that'll be the answer.
PING-CHO: Why would someone take the Tardis to Karakorum?
IAN: I don't know, Ping-Cho. But until I find it, we shall never leave Kublai Khan's Cathay.
VIZIER: The Great War Lord and Master of the World, mighty Kublai Khan, is pleased to grant you an
audience.
POLO: We wait the Great Khan's pleasure.
DOCTOR: It's all Chinese. Very interesting. It's odd that a Mongol should choose Chinese architecture,
isn't it?
SUSAN: Did you see those beautiful pavilions?
BARBARA: Yes. Weren't they magnificent?
POLO: Some of them are made of solid gold.
SUSAN: Are they?
DOCTOR: What size are the grounds?
POLO: Oh, they're enormous. They have to be to accommodate the Khan's two great passions,
hunting and falconry. Do you know, in his stables he has ten thousand white stallions?
DOCTOR: Yes, well, one's enough for me, young man. Red, white or blue. VIZIER: When great Kublai
Khan appears, you will make your obeisance to him. so that he may look kindly upon you, and spare
your worthless lives.
DOCTOR: Pray then, what am I supposed to do, sir?
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VIZIER: Kow-tow. Kneel upon the ground and touch your forehead upon the floor three times.
DOCTOR: I shall do no such thing!
VIZIER: Kublai Khan is the mightiest man the world has ever seen. Not to pay him homage will cost
you your head.
DOCTOR: Well, if it breaks my back, then he can take all of me. So why waste time on small items?
SUSAN: Grandfather, please.
DOCTOR: Oh, do be quiet child. I'm not going to make a spectacle of
(a gong sounds)
VIZIER: Silence! Those who dare to come before the sight of the great Kublai Khan, kow-tow. Kow-tow
before the War Lord of War Lords. Mighty and fearful in his strength. Kow-tow before the Ruler of Asia,
India, Cathay and other territories. Kow-tow before the Master of the World.
(Everyone kneels down except the Doctor)
SUSAN: Grandfather, come on, get down.
VIZIER: Kow-tow! Kow-tow!
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes. I'll manage it.
VIZIER: Kow-tow!
KHAN: Fools!
(A small wizened old man enters, shuffling along. The Doctor is still struggling to kneel. Both are
groaning.)
KHAN: Do you mock our afflictions?
DOCTOR: It's my back.
KHAN: What ails it?
DOCTOR: It's broken!
VIZIER: Don't be impertinent!
DOCTOR: I am not being impertinent, sir. I'm far from unwell.
VIZIER: How dare you speak out!
KHAN: This gout will be the end of us.
(The Khan sits on his throne)
KHAN: Marco, get up.
POLO: My lord.
KHAN: Get up, all of you. These gracious ladies also accompany you. Marco?
POLO: They do, my lord.
KHAN: We bid you welcome to our court, ladies. What's the matter with him?
POLO: Oh, five days hard riding on horseback, my lord. The Doctor's not accustomed to it.
KHAN: Doctor? Oh, is he? Are you, perchance, a physician?
DOCTOR: I am not a doctor of medicine, sire, otherwise I should be able to cure these pains.
KHAN: Oh, what a pity. Where is the War Lord Tegana?
POLO: Riding for Shang-Tu, my lord, with the lady Ping-Cho and a companion of theirs.
KHAN: Noghai's army's encamped at Karakorum.
POLO: But that's impossible, my lord. When Tegana joined my caravan, Noghai's army was only forty
miles north of Samarkand.
KHAN: Then it stands hundred miles from Shang-Tu. We are very anxious to hear Tegana's
explanation of his master's conduct.
POLO: I can understand my lord's concern, and it is my fault that he is not here.
KHAN: We are on our guard against treachery. Our patrols watch the Karakorum road, and tomorrow
we'll ride for Peking.
SUSAN: Must we go too?
VIZIER: Silence. Speak only when you are addressed.
KHAN: Tut, tut, tut. What was it you said?
SUSAN: Well, I wondered if we might wait for Ping-Cho, my lord.
KHAN: No, I think it is better that you ride with us.
DOCTOR: Oh, not another horse.
KHAN: You spoke?
DOCTOR: I said I don't think I could get on another horse.
KHAN: Then walk!
DOCTOR: In my present condition, sir? And what about that lump of yours, hmmm?
VIZIER: The Master of the World has a carriage of state.
DOCTOR: Well, he's lucky. He won't be jogged about.
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[Karakorum Road]
[Karakorum Road]
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(A scream.)
LING-TAU: You fool. I did not command his death.
TEGANA: My name is Tegana, the War Lord. Get rid of these men
LING-TAU: I am Ling-Tau, captain and courier in the great Khan's service.
TEGANA: They were trying to steal the Khan's property.
IAN: That's not true.
LING-TAU: I remember both of you. You were with Messer Marco Polo's caravan.
PING-CHO: He is the thief. We caught him with that.
LING-TAU: Pardon me, my lady. I have not the authority to judge in this dispute. It's a matter for the
great Khan.
TEGANA: Then take us to Shang-Tu.
LING-TAU: The great Khan has left the Summer Palace at Shang-Tu, my lord. You will see him in
Peking.
KHAN: We are too busy for that, Marco. Be brief, please. Be brief.
POLO: As my lord commands. The War Lord Tegana has arrived in Peking. When he reaches the
palace, shall I bring him directly to you?
KHAN: No. No, we'll grant him an audience as soon as possible. Oh, we want to tell you something,
Marco. We owe half of Asia to our friend at backgammon.
POLO: It is unusual for you to lose, my Lord.
KHAN: Oh, he is a fortunate one. But our friend here made a truly royal gesture which we have
accepted, although it might upset you.
POLO: Why should it do that?
KHAN: That's our last game. Our losses against your gift to me.
POLO: The caravan?
DOCTOR: Yes, Marco. We're playing for the Tardis.
POLO: But my Lord
KHAN: Well?
POLO: Nothing, my Lord. I will leave you to your game.
DOCTOR: My throw.
KHAN: But. Yes, your throw.
POLO: You will not believe this, but I swear it's true. They're playing backgammon for your caravan.
BARBARA + SUSAN: What?
POLO: If the Doctor wins, he has won back Tardis.
BARBARA: And if he loses?
POLO: He's lost everything.
SUSAN: Oh, Grandfather will win. I hope.
POLO: The sly old fox. The Khan hasn't even seen it yet, and he's taking it away from me.
BARBARA: Then this will solve everything. You've made your gesture and given the Tardis to the
Khan, so he should let you go home. And with any luck, we can go home too. So we'll all have what we
want.
SUSAN: Yes, all except Ping-Cho.
POLO: Yes, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about her, Susan. Her future husband is already in
Peking.
SUSAN: What in the palace?
POLO: Yes, there is to be a banquet tonight in his honour, at which six thousand guests will attend.
SUSAN: Six thousand!
POLO: He's a very important man.
BARBARA: He must be. When is the wedding?
POLO: Tomorrow morning.
SUSAN: Poor Ping-Cho.
LING-TAU: My lord, Polo.
POLO: Yes? Oh, you're the courier that brought me the message from Shang-Tu, aren't you?
LING-TAU: I am my Lord.
POLO: It's a pleasure to see you again.
LING-TAU: No, my Lord, I fear not.
POLO: Why? What is wrong?
LING-TAU: Two members of your party, the lord known as Ian, and the lady Ping-Cho, are being held
under guard.
POLO: Why?
LING-TAU: They're accused of stealing the Khan's property.
BARBARA: The Tardis?
POLO: Well, who accuses them?
BARBARA: Tegana.
LING-TAU: Yes, my lady.
BARBARA: That man is
SUSAN: Wait! But Grandfather's going to win back the Tardis, so no charges can be brought.
POLO: Susan, you don't take your prize until you win the game.
(The Doctor enters.)
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[Palace room]
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KHAN: Your gift has failed. It is ours because we won the right to keep it in a game of chance. Where
is the key?
POLO: In my quarters, my lord.
KHAN: Bring it to us after the banquet, and then we'll examine our prize.
POLO: My lord, you do me a great wrong.
KHAN: We are distressed and angered by your conduct, Marco. Please think about it. You'll also
attend us after the banquet, Lord Tegana. We'll discuss the terms of our settlement with Noghai. But
we be on guard against you.
TEGANA: What have I that the Khan should fear?
KHAN: The power of persuasion.
KHAN: Dead! And in the middle of the feast. How shall we tell her? Terrible! Horrible! Terrible and
horrible! Horrible and terrible!
(Polo, Ping-Cho and Ling-Tau enter)
KHAN: Oh, here you are, my child. Come, we have something to tell you. A tragedy has occurred at
the table tonight.
PING-CHO: Tragedy, my lord?
KHAN: Your beloved husband-to-be, so anxious to be worthy of your love, drank a potion of quicksilver
and sulphur, the elixir of life and eternal youth, and expired.
EMPRESS: Come into my arms, child. Let me share your grief.
KHAN: You're overdoing it, my dear, the child is dry-eyed.
EMPRESS: Oh, ungrateful wretch! Do you not weep for your lost love?
PING-CHO: My lady, I grieve an old man's death as all would do. But how can I weep for a love I have
never known?
KHAN: Tell us, Ping-Cho. Do you wish to return to your home in Samarkand? Or would you like to stay
a while in our Court and brighten all our days?
PING-CHO: If I may, my lord, I would like to stay.
KHAN: So be it. Wait, Marco. Tell us, my child, your opinion of the travellers from a distant land?
PING-CHO: They are my friends, my lord. As they will always be.
KHAN: Thank you, Ping-Cho. Wait, Marco. Let that young officer escort lady Ping-Cho to her quarters.
(Ping-Cho and Ling-Tau leave)
KHAN: She is forthright and honest. We trust her, as we once did you. Our mind dwells upon your
conduct, Marco, and we've decided that you have to prove yourself worthy of our trust. If you fail this to
do, we take from you our patronage, banish you from our Court, and let your enemies fall upon you.
You have the key of the caravan?
POLO: Yes, my lord, but you would be well advised to have the Doctor with you when you open it.
KHAN: Fetch him, Marco, fetch him. No, wait. Not until our audience with the Lord Tegana is
concluded.
[Palace room]
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SUSAN: I'm sure Tegana was behind that bandit raid. But why?
DOCTOR: It wasn't just my ship then. Whatever double-game Tegana is playing, he must have
decided upon a long time before we appeared on the scene.
BARBARA: I remember!
DOCTOR: Hmmm?
BARBARA: The Khan was furious because Noghai had moved his armies from Samarkand to
Karakorum.
DOCTOR: And that's why he delayed Marco Polo's caravan. To give Noghai more time to move his
armies nearer Peking.
IAN: Yes, that makes sense. Even so, why should Kublai Khan fear Noghai? He has an enormous
army, and he's already defeated him once, surely.
DOCTOR: Yes, but what you have to take into account where battles are concerned, dear boy, are its
leaders. Kill the leader, and where are you? What happens? The whole army dissipates itself into
chaos and utter confusion. It's happened throughout your history time and time again!
SUSAN: Grandfather, do you mean to say Tegana's going to assassinate the Khan?
DOCTOR: Exactly, and what could be a better answer then to disorganise everything here. It gives
Noghai the perfect answer to overrun the country.
BARBARA: But then, we must get to the Khan before Tegana kills him, otherwise.
IAN: I've had it.
DOCTOR: Yes, we've all had it.
SUSAN: Look, how are we going to get Ian past the guard?
(Ian goes to the door and mimes the plan)
DOCTOR: Guard! Open the door.
(The guard enters. The Doctor trips him with his stick. Everybody runs for it.)
[Corridor]
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