Doctor Who (1963) s09e06 Episode Script

The Curse of Peladon, Part Two

Look out! -Ahh! Look out! -What has happened? -Quick, there may be danger! But the delegates may be harmed! Your Majesty's safety is all that matters.
-Phew.
That was a bit close, wasn't it? -You all right, Princess? -Yes, thank you.
I think so.
You have saved our lives.
-Thank you.
-I'm sorry to have been so abrupt This is terrible! We could all have been killed! Well, I feel definitely wobbly at the knees.
Aggedor has been merciful.
We must give thanks that you have all been spared.
Well, I think we should investigate what caused this, Hepesh.
I agree! -If only as a matter of protocol.
It is a sign of Aggedor's anger.
His ghost walks amongst us.
Must have been a pretty substantial type of ghost -to have shifted a solid granite statue.
Yes, very! The spirit of Aggedor can move mountains.
Seemed more like he was trying to remove us.
Our mission is peaceful.
We come to help your people, to raise them from barbarism.
Maybe they don't want to be raised.
Hepesh, you say this is foretold in your ancient writings.
What sort of manifestation is there supposed to be? It is written, "His coming shall be full of terror and darkness.
"His cry shall be heard in the night, "and death shall walk in the land of Peladon.
" Well, there was no cry of warning, and nobody actually saw him, did they? To the unbeliever, all signs are as dust in the wind.
Well, the point is, what does King Peladon believe? If this man speaks for King Peladon, our purpose here is wasted.
The conference must be cancelled.
I agree.
-No! I am king, not Hepesh! And not Aggedor.
Would you rejoin us? Hepesh.
Negotiations must continue.
Negotiations are only possible in a peaceful atmosphere.
Political conflict violates Federation law.
Centuries ago, on your own planets, war and violence flourished.
We have learned to control our past.
Then you must teach Peladon.
Without help, we will never raise ourselves from the Dark Ages.
Do not desert us now.
Your Majesty is an enlightened ruler, but who will your people believe? King Peladon or Aggedor? Doctor, you are our chairman.
Do we go or stay? I think it would be a tragedy if the conference were to break up now.
If we remain, we put ourselves at risk.
His Majesty deserves the opportunity to convince us, surely? But if we do decide to leave, are we free to go? Of course.
You don't think that King Peladon would keep you here by force, do you? Such things have been known on primitive planets.
Why should I detain you? As pawns in some political game, perhaps.
That has happened before.
-It would be most unwise.
-There is no plot! I am being completely honest with you.
Please, stay and help me to help my people.
Your Majesty, we will adjourn now and consider our position.
We will let you know our decision as soon as possible.
Your Highness, would you remain a moment? -Hepesh, you may leave us.
-Your Majesty.
Do you believe me? I'm only an observer.
It's up to the committee to decide whether or not to help you.
I'm talking from a personal point of view.
I don't often get the chance.
-Being a king is no fun? -It's very lonely.
But you must know that.
It's so hard to find someone to talk to as a person.
But you have Hepesh.
He seems very fond of you, just like a father.
Hepesh is an old man, like your friend the Doctor.
I somehow don't think he'd care for that.
I was brought up by wise old men.
I hardly ever see anyone young or beautiful.
My mother was an Earth woman, so, you see, there is a bond between us.
Do you believe me? Yes.
Yes, I believe you.
Then speak for me to the commission.
Make them see my case.
I see.
All you want is a political ally.
-No, I want you as a friend.
-Oh, no.
No.
I'm strictly neutral.
Count me out.
The failure was not yours, Grun.
You acted well.
Aggedor has been merciful to his enemies.
But now the hour for mercy has passed.
Now an evil influence comes between King Peladon and his true destiny.
It must be destroyed.
Aggedor will give his blessing.
I dedicate you to the destruction of the king's enemy, to purge the soul of Peladon by this act and to give the ghost of Aggedor release.
The foremost of the king's enemies is the chairman delegate from Earth, the one they call the Doctor.
Destroy him, Grun! -Well, what is it? -It's an electronic key, used for opening doors by identifying the bearer electronically.
-Probably used for their spaceship.
-Whose spaceship? Well, the Ice Warriors, of course.
It's made from trisilicate, which can only be found on the planet Mars.
So you think that it was Ssorg who made those footprints on the balcony.
Yes, I think it's highly likely.
-Wasn't he in the throne room with us? -I'm not sure.
Well, you managed to slip away without anyone noticing, remember? Yes.
But what would they be after? Well, the last time that I encountered them, Jo, they were trying to colonise the planet Earth, -and Peladon is very like Earth.
-Hmm.
But they say they're here for the same reason as the other delegates.
-Peace.
-Do they? Well, believe me, I know the Ice Warriors, Jo.
They're a savage and a warlike race.
No, among the delegates, only Ssorg's strength could have shifted that statue.
I still think you're jumping to conclusions.
Well, who else could be responsible? Arcturus is only a box of tricks.
And I hardly think Centauri would hurt a fly, would you? No, I think he's rather sweet.
Or is he a she? Neither.
She's an it.
It's a hermaphrodite hexapod.
Oh.
The point is, what possible motive could they have? Look, why don't we just organise someone to dig out the TARDIS and get out of here? Did you have to get us involved in all this? -I didn't really have any choice, did I? -Oh, come on.
You love all that chairman delegate stuff.
Admit it.
Well, how do you like being a princess, Princess? Like you said, I didn't really have much choice.
What's that? Sounds like an alarm.
Come on.
What are you going to do? Well, someone's taken the servo-junction unit of his life support system.
I'll have to rewire the circuits.
Well, what does this servo thing look like? It's a small plastic cube full of very fine circuitry.
Why? Well, whoever took it must have been the one who tried to kill Arcturus.
-Obviously.
So? -So if we could find it Look, I can search all the delegates' rooms.
You'll do no such thing, Jo, it's far too dangerous.
I'm going to try a little direct confrontation here.
-But if we had some real evidence -Jo, please do as I say, there's a good girl.
What are you doing to Arcturus? Someone has disconnected a vital part of his life support system.
I'm trying to save him.
Now, please, leave me alone.
I think that should do it.
Have you succeeded? Yes.
He'll be all right in a moment.
This is the work of Aggedor.
This is the work of a skilled, technical knowledge.
Your medieval monster, Hepesh, would simply have tried to smash Arcturus's protective globe.
What are you suggesting? -I reject the accusation.
-Yes, of course, you would.
But, nevertheless, you can't deny that you do have the necessary technical knowledge.
The technology of Centauri is competent enough.
And so is that of Earth.
And it was you, Doctor, that we discovered.
Why are you here? I was looking for something and I found it.
This is not ours.
No, you took it from poor Arcturus when you tried to kill him.
You will stay.
I must inform Izlyr.
I have been attacked.
By whom, Arcturus? By whom? Was the face of Aggedor revealed to you? Memory circuits out of phase.
It must have been a dreadful experience.
We have to ask him later.
We cannot wait.
It is too important.
We must know now.
I cannot remember.
How very fortunate, Izlyr.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
Let me pass, Grun.
What do you want? You want me to come with you? All right, all right, I'm coming.
Where are you taking me? I saw no one, Delegate Izlyr.
The attack was too quick.
We discovered the Doctor.
He seemed to be attacking your life support mechanism.
But what motive could the Doctor have? Ask his masters on Earth.
The Princess, why is she here? A diplomatic courtesy, surely? Peladon's mother was an Earth woman.
Exactly.
And if Peladon marries this Earth princess, the blood relationship will be strengthened and could be used to foster Earth's interests inside the Federation.
That must not be allowed to happen.
-Lord Izlyr.
-Yes, what is it? -I must speak with you.
-Of course.
If you will excuse us, Arcturus.
There has been some new development? Something dreadful, no doubt.
Really, this barbarous planet! Sub-delegate Ssorg has discovered the missing servo-junction unit.
Where? -In the hands of the Earth princess.
In here? Why? Is someone in trouble? Well, who, Grun? Not the Princess? All right, all right.
What is that noise, Grun? Grun! Grun, come back here! Grun! Grun! Grun! The monster -How did you escape from my room? -The monster Aggedor! -He's down there.
-Ssorg.
Ssorg's sonic guns can destroy any living creature.
Where were you going? I was going to find the Doctor and King Peladon when I saw -There is nothing.
-But it was there.
I saw him! You say you see this monster when there is no monster.
You are trying to trick us.
No.
Oh, look, please.
I've got to find the Doctor.
Then we will help you.
It is time that you and the Doctor answered my questions.
Sit down, Princess.
Why did you try to escape? I was frightened.
Can you blame me? So, Princess, you believe that we tried to kill Arcturus.
Well, if you didn't, why was the missing servo-unit in your room? Perhaps you brought it here as part of your scheme to trap us.
That's just not true, I One of you must have tried to kill Arcturus.
-Nobody tried to kill him.
- What? To destroy Arcturus, the helium regenerator must be deactivated.
-What about the unit? -Merely sensor equipment.
Disconnecting that only produces metabolic coma.
-So it couldn't be fatal? -Only uncomfortable.
I'm sorry if I might have misjudged you, but the Doctor did say you are a race of warriors.
We were once, but now we reject violence except in self-defence.
What about Ssorg's gun? This is supposed to be a peaceful mission.
Unfortunately, in order to preserve peace, it is necessary to survive.
Well, if you didn't do it, who did? Who could benefit by it? Perhaps the Doctor will be able to explain.
Sacrilege! Seize him, Grun! You have defiled the inner sanctum of the holy temple of Aggedor.
Your mind, your word, your being, all are evil.
-Give me a chance to explain, Hepesh.
-Take him before the King.
No, Hepesh.
Give me a chance! Your Majesty, the charge against the chairman delegate from Earth is one of extreme sacrilege.
I, Hepesh, High Priest of Peladon, and Grun, the King's Champion, accuse you, an alien intruder, of desecrating the holy of holies, the inner sanctum of the temple of Aggedor.
-Your Majesty.
-I have no alternative, Doctor.
To this charge, the laws of Peladon allow of no defence and only one punishment.
Death.

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