Posted on January 20, 2023December 22, 2023The Lost Years (continued . . .) Janno followed Narri over the high battlements, with a last word for Roffa. You know where to meet up—tonight ! Right ! good luck ! He struck the water of the moat with breath- robbing force, and seized the floundering Narri. Aaaah . . . aaaahhh . . . I’m drowning ! Courage, Narri ! In here ! They crawled into the dank darkness. Where . . . where does it lead ? It’s an overflow for the moat. It probably comes out at the river bank. Meanwhile, Roffa had raised the alarm. What’s happened ? Where’s the prisoner ? He jumped for it ! Lord Janno went after him. He’ll catch him, never fear ! That night, Roffa went to Janno’s apartment—to find his friend and Narri already there. It was easy. We were home before dark. I contacted the governor and told him Narri had given me the slip. There won’t be much fuss. Narri isn’t important. They regard him as a harmless half-wit. Well—what do we do to save the empire ? Is there anything we can do to change the future ? Narri saw it happen—isn’t it unchangeable ? Narri answered him. Three years from now, I saw a young tree growing outside my house. The other day, I tore it out of the ground as a sapling. Here it is ! I have kept it concealed upon my person ever since ! It is proof that we can change coming events ! This installment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 575 on 20 January 1973.
Posted on November 18, 2022November 18, 2022The Curse of King Yutta (continued . . .) Above the muzzle of the levelled weapon, Janno saw the eyes that he knew so well. So you’re the one behind it all ! You, who were appointed my bodyguard, have been trying to destroy me all this time ! A question sprang to Janno’s lips— and Sweya gave a contemptuous laugh. And what of King Yutta’s Mummy ? The Mummy ? —Hah ! I am not alone in this, Janno. My orders are to kill you, which is a pity, since I quite like you. But there it is . . . goodbye, Janno. Bla-a-a-mm ! At the precise moment that he saw Sweya’s finger tighten on the trigger, Janno threw himself sideways ! And then . . . Aaaaaagh ! . . . He leapt into action ! Uuuuh . . . Looking down at the unconscious face beneath him, a chord of memory stirred in Janno’s mind. That voice ! The voice I heard coming from the Mummy—now I know where I heard it before ! This installment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 566 on 18 November 1972.
Posted on September 23, 2022December 21, 2023The Fiendish Experiment (continued . . .) The King’s ejector gear brought him safely to the ground. Instants later, a column of water descended near by the shocked monarch. The water trickled towards the King, touched him, and— Eeeeaaaaghh ! Vella re-materialised. It will be several days before you recover your senses, you barbarian ! He dragged his victim to a cave mouth, close to which stood an air fleet fighter-craft. He will lie safely in the cave till I have been paid the ransom-money. What could be simpler ? At that moment, in Trigan City, a squad of police were surrounding Vella’s apartment. Smash the door in ! Peric was among the first to enter the apartment and see the strange apparatus that filled one of the rooms. I was right in my assumption ! That young scoundrel has submitted himself to my process—and used it for criminal purposes ! Why ! That’s the folder containing details of your invention ! I remember the night you showed it to Vella and me ! I should have guessed right from the start, when he had his miraculous escape from the air crash. I told you at the time, Janno —there are no such things as miracles ! This installment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 558 on 23 September 1972.
