Posted on October 9, 2021April 10, 2026The Masked Raiders (continued . . .) No buts ! Those white-masked monsters must be brought to justice ! And every inch of the Empire, above and below the ground, in the sea and under the sea, must be scoured till they are found !—See to it ! The Emperor was beside himself with fury. A whole lunar month gone by— and nothing done ! You are a pack of bungling fools ! The service and civil chiefs of the Empire quailed before Trigo’s lashing tongue. But, Imperial Majesty . . . Land, sea, air and police units searched day and night for the strange terrorists. Even the ancient catacombs beneath Trigan City were not overlooked. The Air Fleet kept up constant patrols. The comrades, Keren and Roffa, flew three sorties in a day. What a life ! Thank the stars we’ve a day off tomorrow. How about riding up to the hills for a day’s hunting ? And so, next day . . . He’s yours, Roffa !— after him ! Roffa chased his quarry and lost him when the mist closed down. It soon became apparent that he had also lost his friend. Keren, Keren, where are you ? This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 508 on 9 October 1971.
Posted on April 3, 2021December 30, 2025The City of Jewels (continued . . .) This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 481 on 3 April 1971.
Posted on March 27, 2021October 19, 2025The Giant Plant (continued . . .) In the great square of Trigan City, the cavalry of the Imperial Guard formed up behind their Emperor for what promised to be their last battle. Tax Toru, the disgraced guard commander, came forward. Imperial Majesty ! I claim the honour of dying with you ! Granted ! When the leaders of the rebel force saw the thin line of cavalry barring their way into the city, some of their confidence left them. Trigo ! Your city is being devastated by the giant rallus and your empire is crumbling about your ears —we call upon you to surrender ! Trigo replied coolly to the blustering demand. You are misinformed ! The rallus have been destroyed. There will be no surrender—we will fight to the end, and a new empire will arise from the ashes of the old ! Uneasy murmurings broke out in the rebel ranks. You hear that ? Trigo’s beaten the rallus ! What a man ! There’s no one like him on Elekton ! Are we going to replace him with the likes of them ? I’m not, for one ! It was like a miracle. Before the defenders’ astonished eyes, the rebel army faded away into the dust of the plain. They’ve given up ! It is all over !—the Empire stands ! Within days, the population streamed back into the city, and the work of rebuilding commenced. The great scientist Peric made a full enquiry of the phenomenon of the ibis plants which had caused the disaster. He is now the only living subject who ate the ibis seeds. He is a normal adult with a child’s mind. Happily, he will become mentally adult in the normal span of time. All he has lost is his childhood. The effect on the rallus was much more sinister ! Peric, it must never happen again ! Nor will it, Imperial Majesty ! The giant ibises will be destroyed, and the formula of the compound will remain locked in my mind ! As for Tax Toru—there was a happy outcome to his personal tragedy. You are a proud man who never deigned to answer the charges made against you. We now have a confession from another officer who was the real traitor. Your name is cleared, Tax Toru ! And so, at the parade in celebration of the saving of the Empire, Tax Toru took his place at the head of the Imperial Guard. This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 480 on 27 March 1971.
