Part
35: A King For a Day
News-Speaker:
You saw them dazzle dinosaurs, rock the rainforest, do many mighty
deeds, and now they're back - with new missions from somewhere in
time: IRON MAIDEN!!!
BBC-Manager: Excellent recording. Now we just need
the guys to actually go on a few missions, and the Friday evening
prime time ratings are saved.
Assistant: Are you sure they will show up?
BBC-Manager: Of course I'm sure. They're heavy metallers,
aren't they? Going on insane, crazy trips is second nature to them.
And I know Bruce: He will show up. Besides, it's good publicity for
them. I hear the show propelled their CD to the top five in the charts.
Assistant: Don't tell them you think that's because
of the show ...
...
Bruce: I'm so excited, guys.
Dave: Me too.
To think that we agreed to another twelve missions ...
Adrian: To think that we could be so stupid ...
Janick: Did you see the ratings they published? CSIT
ranked first, even before Lost and Desperate Housewives.
Steve: Who cares about their stupid rankings? AMOLAD
made it to number one in several European countries, now there's something
to be proud of. Goes to show that solid touring and a mindblowing
live performance are still the things that count in Heavy Metal.
Dave: I saw some fans with CSIT banners during the
shows.
Bruce: See? They love the show.
Steve: Hm.
Nicko: Aw, come on, Arry, admit it, you're looking
forward to the new missions ...
Steve: I was looking forward to some quiet weeks
with my family.
Adrian: Then why did you agree to go on a mission
right after the tour?
Bruce: Yes, you said, and I quote: "Let's at
least wait till we've finished the new CD and done the tour."
Steve: Right. Did that sound like a wholehearted
agreement to you?
Bruce: It sounded like the loophole I was looking
for.
Janick: The Sight of a Loaded Gun got voted
Best Episode Ever by the BBC audience.
Nicko: Fuck my old boots, I won't forget that day
in a while. That kiddo shooting me in the leg, and I thought for a
second he'd go for Janick's head too.
Dave: Yeah, that was a scary scene. I hope they're
not sending us to such a hothead again.
Adrian: Seeing that it got voted Best Episode, I'm
sure they will.
Bruce: Anyway, there's the BBC manager. Hey, Dougie.
BBC-Manager: Hello, Bruce. Mr Harris, Mr Smith, Mr
Jurrs, Mr McBrain, Mr Murray, so good to see you again. I hope you
had a good Christmas holiday?
Steve: So far, yes. Could we get that paper and get
it over with?
BBC-Manager: Ah, I see you're eager to time-travel
again. Good good.
Dave: Yes, I'm looking forward to it.
By the way, I'm Mr Murray. That's Mr McBrain right there.
Nicko: Cheers, mate.
Steve: That paper?
BBC-Manager: You'll be happy to hear that we've come
up with an additional task for you. To make it even more fun, we wrote
the task in the language of the time you are going to.
Adrian: As a Christmas gift, ey?
BBC-Manager: So to speak, yes. So here is the tablet
with your task, there you go, Mr Jurrs. And here are the numbers for
the TM. Off you go then.
...
Steve: Dougie?
Bruce: We're working for the same company, so we're
on first name terms. Anything wrong with that?
Steve: So you're Buddy Bruce, while I'm just Mister
Harris?
Janick: Don't complain, Arry, at least he didn't
massacre your name.
Bruce: See, compared to Jan, you're lucky. ... Okeydoke,
I'll punch in the numbers aaand there we go: Maiden travelling backwards
in time again.
Nicko: Or forwards, you never know.
Bruce: Right, I never even thought about that ...
Hey guys, wouldn't it be so great if we met ourselves as ageing rockstars?
Steve: You wanna see yourself as an ageing rocker?
Have a look in the mirror. Jan, what does the task say?
Adrian: Yeah, let's have a look at that tablet, Mr
Jurrs.
Janick: Haha, ever so funny. Well, this tablet isn't
much help. The signs on it look really archaic.
Bruce: Let me see. Ah, very interesting. Could be
ancient Chinese.
Adrian: It sure looks Chinese to me.
Steve: I don't know, aren't Chinese signs more abstract?
This looks more like little graphic representations of something ...
Damn, how are we going to solve this mission if we cannot even read
the task?
Bruce: No sweat, we'll simply ask the locals, as
soon as we arrive.
Janick: The good news is: we'll land in civilized
times, seeing as they already had a writing system.
Adrian: Yay, no dinosaurs.
Steve: "Civilized" as in: Spanish Inquisition?
Bruce: Aw, Arry, you're still not over that?
Steve: I was pushed from a very high bridge into
very cold water!
Bruce: Don't brag, it wasn't that high. When I went
bungee jumping last summer ...
Adrian: Bruce, I don't think Arry wants to hear this.
Bruce: You don't?
Steve: No.
Bruce: Oh.
...
Dave: Oof, here we are. That was a long ride.
Janick: I'll open the door. Pooh, it's hot and dusty
outside.
Adrian: Dusty, as in "desert"?
Bruce: When I was wandering in the desert I was
searching for the truth ...
Steve: There he goes again.
Nicko: No, we're not in a desert, there's a river
not far off. In fact, this looks a bit like the Florida marshes.
Bruce: One night wandering in the Everglades
I'd one drink but no more ...
Steve: You think this is the Everglades, Nicko?
Nicko: I'm not sure. I don't recall the reeds being
that high, but then who knows what they looked like a few centuries
back?
Bruce: I was rambling, enjo...
Steve: Yeah, and now you shut up or I'll gag you.
Bruce: Spoilsport. I could tell you where we are,
but I won't.
Steve: You know where we are? Spit it out.
Bruce: ...
Steve: Bruce!
Bruce: How about a "please, Brucey"?
Steve: Spit - it - out.
Bruce: All right, all right: We're on the Easter
Island.
Adrian: You think so?
Dave: I don't see any eggs though ...
Steve:
What makes you think this is the Easter Island?
Bruce: The tablet. I once read that they had a very
weird script on the Easter Island.
Adrian: So?
Bruce: So. This is it. Tablet, weird script: Easter
Island.
Steve: I'm not convinced.
Dave: Me neither.
Nicko: No, this doesn't look like an island to me.
Dave: It couldn't be the Easter Island.
Adrian: Why not?
Dave: It's right before New Year. If they wanted
to send us to the Easter Island, they'd do it in April or so.
Steve:
Right, let's tackle this logically: We're on a hot, marshy plain,
probably at least a few centuries before our time. I say we follow
that dirt track over there. It looks like there's a village in the
distance.
Janick: Good idea, let's go.
...
Nicko: Village, my quillage. That's a real city right
there!
Adrian: Looks like they're holding a market. What
do you say, should we ask one of the stallholders to tell us what
it says on our tablet?
Bruce: Sure, I'll ask.
Steve: Hm, we better be careful. What if the inscription
is an insult or something? Would just be like the BBCs idea of a good
joke.
Dave: No, I'm sure they wouldn't do that.
Nicko: Come on, Arry, be brave. If the guy punches
you, I'll get it on tape.
Steve: Very funny. Alright, I'll pop in a Babel Pill
and ask this merchant.
...
Steve: Ehm, excuse me, sir.
Merchant: Melons! Beautiful melons! Can I interest
you in one of my melons?
Steve: Nnno, thanks. I was wondering whether you
could tell me what it says on this tablet. I'm not really good at
reading ...
Merchant: What do you take me for, a scribe? How
would I know what these signs mean? ... Melons, juicy fresh melons
...
Adrian: Damn, the bloke can't read!
Janick: Well, we just need to find a scribe then.
Bruce: Yep, shouldn't be too difficult.
Dave: *munching* Alright, let's do that.
Bruce: Oy, what do we have here?
Steve: Dave, what are you munching there?
Dave: A piece of melon. Why?
Steve: Where did you get that from?
Nicko: Fuck me old boots! You nicked a melon from
the stall?
Dave: No, I didn't. He had this slice lying there
on display, it was probably meant as a teaser.
Janick: What, to tease you into stealing it?
Dave: No, so as people could try what it tasted like.
Steve: What, a big slice as that? That's a quarter
melon, Dave! We better move on before the bloke cries robbery.
Nicko: This market is just teeming with life, and
I've got it all on tape. Come to think of it, we still don't know
where and when we are.
Steve: You're right. The market has kind of an Oriental
feel to it, don't you think, Bruce? ... Bruce?
Adrian: O-oh.
Janick: Shit.
Steve: I'll kill him. I swear, one of these days
I'll kill him.
...
Bruce: Yes, and then the air trapped under the hood
simply lifts it up. Neat.
Girl: Exactly. Would you like to buy one?
Bruce: Sorry, I'm a bit short of cash at the moment.
But maybe my mates could ... oops.
Girl: What's the matter?
Bruce: I think I just lost my friends. Not good.
Arry will throw a fit if I simply disappear like that.
Girl: Are you a stranger in this city?
Bruce: Yes, sort of ...
Girl: Don't worry, you'll surely find your friends
at the ceremony. I suppose that's what you came here for?
Bruce: Ceremony? Yeah, among other things we came
here for the ceremony, sure.
Girl: The festivities will only start in a few hours.
Maybe you would like to see my other air-toys in the meantime?
Bruce: I'd love to. These contraptions are really
ingenious.
Girl: Come on then.
...
Janick: Don't be angry, Steve. Maybe Bruce lost us
in this crowd.
Steve: Lost us? He didn't lose us, he just wandered
off again playing tourist, as always.
Nicko: Maybe we should wait here? He might catch
up with us.
Steve: Catch up? I couldn't even tell you which stall
we passed half a minute ago in this throng.
Dave: *munching* How about we find that scribe? If
Bruce does the same, we'll find him there.
Steve: There's surely more than one scribe in this
city, Dave.
Nicko: But Dave's right: Let's find out what the
tablet says and complete the mission. Bruce isn't stupid. If he can't
find us, he'll go back to the TM and wait there for us.
Adrian: Best plan we have, I'd say.
Steve: Alright, let's find a temple or a palace or
some such place. There's bound to be some scribes there.
Dave: Ok, let's go ... hello there.
Boy: Hey.
Dave: You're blocking my way.
Boy: I saw you steal the melon back at the market
entrance.
Dave: Oops. I mean: I didn't steal it, I tasted it.
Boy: Sure. I thought that was neat.
Dave: You did? Listen, you wouldn't know where we
can find a scribe?
Boy: Why?
I didn't run away, you know.
Dave: I never thought you'd run away.
Until now, that is.
Boy: Hm.
Dave: But my friends and I really need to talk to
a scribe.
Boy: Those were your friends? They walked right on
without you.
Dave: Oh. Not good.
Boy: If I help you find them, will you show me that
trick with the melon?
Dave: What trick?
Boy: How you nicked it, I mean.
Dave: I'm telling you, I didn't nick it. But alright,
if you help me find them, I'll teach you a trick.
Boy: Wow, honestly? Deal!
...
Steve: I don't believe this, just a minute ago he
was right behind me.
Janick: Do you think it's the city? I once saw this
movie: the city sort of had a life of its own and people kept disappearing
in it.
Adrian: Nah, it's just Bruce and Davey who have a
life of their own.
Nicko: See there: a pyramid temple right inside the
city! This is excellent footage.
Janick: Not good. This reminds me of those bloodthirsty
Aztecs. Remember when that priest led me up the temple stairs to sacrifice
me?
Nicko: Jan, the blonde god!
Janick: That wasn't funny, mate.
Nicko: Hehe, you survived it, so it's fun.
Adrian: The people in the market don't look like
Indians though. Arry's right, it's a kind of Near East atmosphere.
Steve: And that pyramid temple ...
Adrian: ... could be Babylon, huh?
Nicko: Ah, the Tower of Babel. I must admit, I imagined
it bigger, though.
Steve: Maybe we're in a time when the tower was not
yet that big. Anyway, let's go there and find that scribe. If Dave
has any sense, he'll go back to the TM and wait there.
...
Dave: This city is a real labyrinth, Ishur. I'm glad
you're with me, I'd never find my way around here.
Ishur: Yeah, Agade's pretty big. Not as big as some
other cities to the south though. Kish is a huge city. I'd love to
go there. How about it?
Dave: How about what?
Ishur: We could go to Kish and have some adventures.
Dave: I don't think Arry would be too happy about
that. And what
would your parents say?
Ishur: My parents sent me to this horrible eduba.
It's totally boring.
Dave: What's an eduba?
Ishur: You know, a tablet house, where you learn
how to be a scribe.
Dave: You're training to be a scribe?
...
Girl: Girls, this is Bruce. He's really interested
in our air-toys.
Bruce: Hello there, gals.
Girl: Follow me, Bruce. The servant girls are all
lodged in this part of the temple. The priests have their quarters
further up, which is good, so they don't bother us too much.
Bruce: This is really huge. So you fabricate your
toys here and then you have to sell them and give the profit to the
temple?
Girl: My parents dedicated me to the temple when
I was a little girl. As a servant, you're supposed to do what you
do best in order to further the honour of your god.
Bruce: Aha. So you are making toys that glide through
the air?
Girl: It's what I do best.
Wanna see the air-demon I made? It can stay in the air for almost
a minute.
Bruce: Sure. But what about this ceremony you were
speaking of? I don't want to be too late for that.
Girl: Don't worry. The inauguration of the new palace
is scheduled for noon. We still have some hours till then. I don't
want to miss it either. King Sargon himself will lead the ceremony.
Bruce: Sargon of Agade?
...
Steve: I feel like in an anthill here. Why are there
so many people running around?
Janick: For a temple it's sure crowded.
Nicko: Fuck me old boots! They even have stalls and
vendors in here. Strange for a place of worship.
Adrian: And we still don't know in which time and
space we are.
Steve: I've enough of this. Jan, give me the tablet.
Nicko: I have to film this.
Steve: Hey you. Can you read?
Priest: How dare you soil my honour by adressing
me, commoner!
Steve: Huh?
Nicko: I knew it. This is excellent footage.
Adrian: Don't give up, Arry. There comes another
one.
Steve: Alright, here we go. Hey, you. You're also
a priest, right? Proof it by reading this tablet!
Official: I'm a palace official and not a public
reader. Remove thee from my sight!
Steve: I give up. These guys are all too busy.
Janick: Don't despair, Arry. See that hall over to
the left? That looks much less crowded, let's go there. There must
be a person in this city that's not busy bustling about.
...
Ishur: I hate school. It's so boring. We read all
these great stories about heroes slaughtering demons and travelling
the world. I so want to see the world too. I want to run and jump
and explore. Instead I have to sit in the eduba and write down stupid
exercices.
Dave: You're still young, you can travel the world
later. Look
at me: I never left my native land when I was young, and now I've
seen the whole world.
Ishur: That's so great. Couldn't you take me with
you, please?
Dave: I can't do that, sorry. But I'm sure you'll
get to see the world one day.
Ishur: A pity you don't have that tablet with you.
I could read it for you.
Dave: Yes, that's bad luck.
Ishur: You said your friends were looking for the
temple. We could go there too.
Dave: Good idea.
...
Bruce: That air-demon's top-class, Lilya.
Lilya: Thanks, I'm also very proud of it. It took
me a good while to make it.
Bruce: I can imagine. Hey, isn't that Jan over there?
... Jan!
Adrian: Who'd have thought it? There's Bruce waving
a demon-doll at us.
Janick: He seems to be with that girl in the, ehm,
sparse dress.
Bruce: Hey guys, Welcome home - it's been too
long we've missed you.
Steve: What do you mean, "Welcome home"?
You were the one running off, not us.
Bruce: I wasn't, not really. In any case, this is
Lilya, she's an inventor.
Adrian: Good morning, miss ... Nice
one, mate.
Bruce: She's really smart, she's ...
Steve: Oh, she is? Great. Can you tell me what's
written on this tablet, miss?
Lilya: I'm sorry, I never learnt to read.
Steve: Smart, huh? Bruce, stop thinking with your
dick.
Bruce: I'm not! She's making these flying dolls,
it's really great ...
Steve: Yeah, sure.
Lilya: If your friend wants to know what the tablet
says, we could ask in the eduba.
Bruce: Great idea! ... What's the eduba?
...
Ishur: We'll make a little detour to get to the temple,
otherwise we'll have to go past the eduba. I don't want them to see
me.
Dave: You shouldn't skip school, you know.
Ishur: I wanted to see the ceremony, so I HAD to
skip school. Anyway, did you never do that?
Dave: Well ...
Ishur: Here's the temple. Let's see if we find your
friends.
...
Lilya: Here's the eduba. It's a school for scribes.
So anyone in here should be able to read.
Steve: Good. Hey boy. Can you read this?
Boy: Who are you? Are you a teacher?
Steve: No, I ...
Boy: Then you don't have to give me any orders. Anyway,
school's out for today, we're going to see the ceremony.
Steve: This city is making me nervous.
Nicko:
Janick:
Adrian: And I thought our times were hectic.
Bruce: There's a guy who looks like a teacher. Let
me ask him. ... Ehm, Mr Teacher, sir.
Teacher: Yes?
Bruce: Could you tell me what is written on this
tablet?
Teacher: Of course. It says: "Bring a kak."
Bruce: Oh. Great. Thank you.
Teacher: My pleasure. And now I'm off to the ceremony.
...
Nicko: You look puzzled, Brucey. What did the geezer
say?
Bruce: Ehm. Something strange.
Adrian: We're used to strange. Tell us.
Bruce: He said we had to find some cacky.
Adrian: What?
Bruce: You know, cack, offal, feces, poo.
Adrian: I know what cacky is.
Janick: He didn't really say that, did he?
Steve: You're making this up. I refuse to believe
that I asked ten people and they all gave me what-for, and the first
geezer you ask tells you to find some poo?
Bruce: He did though.
Steve: Great. So BBC wants us to bring home a historic
turd?
Adrian: Looks like it.
Janick: That reminds me that we still haven't found
out what time and place we're in.
Bruce: I did. We're in Agade and Sargon the Great
is about to inaugurate his new palace.
Adrian: Who the Great?
Bruce: Sargon. The bloke built the first known empire.
It stretched from the mountains of Persia to the Mediterranean Sea.
Pretty impressive.
Steve: Sargon, ey? I read about him when I did some
research for Alexander the Great.
Bruce: Alexander the Great, his name struck fear
into hea...
Steve: That wasn't an invitation to sing, Bruce.
Bruce: ...rts of men ... Alright, I'll shut
up.
Janick: This is really a terrible mission. We've
been here for hours and all we've found out is that we supposedly
need to find some poo.
Adrian: Not to forget that we lost Davey ...
...
Dave: They don't seem to be in here.
We've looked in every corner of this temple.
Ishur: Maybe they went to see the ceremony? We could
look for them in the first row.
Dave: I don't know, I think I'd better go back to
our, ehm, meeting point outside the city.
Ishur: You want to leave already? The ceremony will
be great fun. The king will implant a kak into the walls of the new
palace.
Dave: A cack? You mean he'll poop on his palace?
Ishur:
Kak, not cack. That's a special nail, on which are engraved the king's
name and praise in his honour.
Dave: Oh, I see. Alright, let's go see that ceremony.
...
Nicko: How about this: we grab some camel dung and
make a runner.
Adrian: Yuk.
Steve: I'm sure BBC didn't want us to bring back
camel dung. This must be some sort of misunderstanding.
Bruce: Maybe BBC used the wrong sign for it?
Steve: Could be ...
Lilya: Listen, Bruce, I'm off to see the ceremony.
Do you want to come?
Bruce: Sure, I ...
Steve: Bruce!
Bruce: What? It's Sargon the Great inaugurating his
new temple.
Steve: So? Want to see Steve the Annoyed looking
for a new singer?
Nicko: I'm all for seeing this ceremony. Would be
great to have the bloke on tape.
Steve: Hm. Alright, let's go see it. But after that,
it's straight back to the TM. And we're not picking up any poop. I
refuse to make a fool of myself. Too bad for BBC, if they give us
such stupid tasks.
Janick: The footage from the market and the ceremony
should be enough to fill an evening anyway.
Steve: Just my thinking.
Bruce: Alright. Lilya, lead the way.
...
Dave: Wow, that's the king? Funny headdress. Reminds
me of that Nipple-Guy.
Ishur: Who?
Dave: That was another king. He had a huge library.
We rescued him out of it when it caught fire.
Ishur: Damn, you have such an exciting life. I want
to rescue guys out of burning buildings too.
Dave: You could become a fireman.
Bruce: Hey, Davey!
Dave: Hey guys. What a stroke of luck.
Steve: What were you thinking wandering off like
that?
Dave: I wasn't. I was looking for you. This is Ishur.
He's training as a scribe.
Ishur: Hi there.
Dave: Who's the bird?
Bruce: What bird? Oh, you mean Lilya? She's an inventor.
Dave: Nice dress.
Steve: Dave, focus: the boy's a scribe?
Ishur: No, I'll never become a scribe. Way too boring.
But I can read your tablet if you want to.
Janick: Here you go. Apparently it says something
about p...
Steve: No, Jan. Maybe Bruce got it wrong. Let's hear
what the boy reads.
Bruce: Why would I get it wrong?
Ishur: It says: Bring a kak.
Bruce: Hah! See!
Adrian: I don't get it. Why would they want a turd?
Ishur: Not a turd. A kak.
Dave: A nail.
Steve: Huh? What nail?
Dave: A nail with the king's name on it.
Steve: How do you know that?
Dave: Ishur told me.
Adrian: That would make sense. Do you know where
to get such a nail, boy?
Ishur: Kaks are implanted into the walls of official
buildings like the palace and the temple. They're then sealed off
with mortar so that no living man shall ever see them again.
Steve: Great. How shall we ever find them? Are we
supposed to dismantle the temple walls or what?
Ishur: I could help you.
Dave: I don't think that's a good idea. The guards
might not like it if we go about destroying their walls.
Adrian: Not to talk of the priests. I don't want
to run again for my life.
Ishur: That's not what I meant. I could make a kak
for you.
...
Nicko: Hello boys and girls. This is Nicko, live
from the city of Agade. You are now about to see a young adventurer
and part-time scribe-trainee engraving a brand new kak. And no, that's
not your common poo.
Ishur: What shall I write on it?
Bruce: Write down: "Engraved for Iron Maiden.
By the mighty Ishur, who will travel the four corners of the World."
Ishur: Cool idea!
...
Dave: And then you scoop it up with your palm, like
this.
Ishur: Neat! You're a real magician.
Bruce: Hear, hear. The magician is his name.
Hehe.
Dave: It's really not difficult if you know how to
do it. The trick is, you have to make people believe you're a friendly,
harmless bloke.
Ishur: I think I'll have to work a bit on that still.
Dave: You do that. And thanks again for your help.
Your kak will become famous. We will show it to all our people.
Ishur: I never thought that the things we learn in
school would ever be of any use. I'm glad I could help you.
Adrian: See, school's not that bad. Try to show up
there from time to time, ok?
Dave: Hear who's talking.
Steve: Good bye, Ishur. Alright, guys, let's go back
to the TM.
...
Bruce: Back in the good ole TM. And it's mission
accomplished, who would have thought that. A pity though ...
Janick: What is?
Bruce: I was so looking forward to dumping that camel
dung on Dougie's desk.
Adrian: