Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger Page #3

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- but as a philosopher...

Easy, fellow, easy.

I can also believe in the possibility of

...metaphysical change.

Thank you, Dione.

Let him see his face.

Go on!

He's weeping.

By all the gods!

A true baboon would have attacked

its reflection, thinking it an enemy.

It would not have recognised itself

and been moved to grief.

I am very happy to meet you,

Prince Kassim.

The oars...

Rafi, what has happened?

The oars are smashed.

It will take hours to repair. Quickly!

Sinbad found a way through.

Whatever drug or elixir it was

that this woman...

Zenobia.

Whatever it was she used

is the most powerful black magic -

- and is beyond my knowledge.

You see, unfortunately,

time is on her side.

Perhaps the prince

would like some of these.

Real apes are mostly vegetarian.

- How does he like his fruit?

- He does. He likes them.

I thought he would.

- Dione, where is the mint tea?

- Coming, father.

I brought him something.

Bananas... he likes those.

I'll serve the tea.

What did you mean when you said that

time was on the side of Queen Zenobia?

The longer that transformation

is delayed, the more likely -

- Kassim is to lose those

human qualities that remain to him.

Then there is no hope for my brother?

Now, wait...

There was a time when men knew how

to combat this form of black witchcraft.

A nation with an intelligence far

superior to anything we know today.

They knew

the secret of transforming matter.

Dione,

help me find the Arimaspi scrolls.

The Arimaspi?

Yes, Archimedes of Syracuse,

a very dear friend of mine.

He based many of his inventions

on principles originally developed -

- by Arimaspi mathematicians.

Here they are!

Invaluable manuscripts... Where are they?

I've found them.

Yes, these are the ones.

Clear the table.

These scrolls are

more than two thousand years old.

- There we are.

- What do they say?

This first one... will be

of special interest to you, Captain.

It's sailing directions.

The first written authority.

The only way to restore Kassim is to

undertake a journey to their country?

A journey to Hyperborea,

the land of the Arimaspi, -

- is the only possible way

of restoring Prince Kassim.

These scrolls confirm the legend.

It tells of a warm and green valley at

the northernmost point of the world -

- surrounded by wide seas of ice.

There in the valley of Hyperborea,

the Arimaspi built a shrine.

The shrine of the four elements:

Earth, fire, air and water.

Within that shrine is the source

of all their extraordinary power.

This power enabled them to preserve

their valley against the glacier -

- and to change or transform

the nature of matter.

I have been experimenting

with a similar power.

- Is there truly such a valley?

- Beyond a doubt.

Then how soon can you be ready to sail?

The journey would be impossible!

It's the coldest region in the world!

Cold, certainly. Difficult and

dangerous, perhaps, but not impossible.

We have you to interpret the scrolls.

I'm too old!

Besides there's so little time.

Come with us, Melanthius.

It can't be this noble prince shall

spend the rest of his days in a cage.

The shrine is his one chance. You're

the only one that can lead us there!

Please, say you will.

- Where did you find that?

- With the scrolls.

The key! The only means of opening

the door to the shrine.

Hyperborea... to visit the shrine,

examine the very source of life.

Archimedes would

split himself with envy.

Now, everyone, stand well back!

Lmagine that power a million times

greater used not for evil, but for good.

That is what the Arimaspi have left us!

Yes, I will go with you.

- Thank you!

- Yes, by all the gods, I will.

No way of reading the sun.

Cloud and fog.

Hurry, hurry!

Listen!

They are leaving!

Hurry! We must follow them.

With a following wind to drive us,

we should be many leagues into the...

And into the Western Ocean

before the next full moon.

- Why not sooner?

- Not possible.

Time is our enemy on all counts!

At the moment Kassim is still in

possession of certain human qualities.

The longer

the transformation is delayed, -

- the more he'll revert

to a baboon's natural behaviour.

More aggressive, savage, dangerous.

He may never be Kassim again.

We are under full sail.

I can do no more.

It is believed that there is

a swift ocean current due north -

- across the Casgars.

North! They're moving north

towards the Celtic Isles, but why?

We should be close to Sinbad's ship.

Keep a lookout.

I must know

what advice the Greek gave them.

I must know what they mean to do.

I can't!

It was powerful enough

to transform Kassim.

I must know.

Now... by Hecate -

- and all the secrets of darkness

and forces of hell.

Come!

Captain Sinbad!

Is there no way of increasing our speed?

A ship can only sail as fast

as the wind allows.

I'll have to consult the chart again...

Now the moon is on the wane.

No, no, no...

If you study my design, -

- you'll see there's more curve

in the runners. The snow will be deep.

But I have never seen snow, Master.

Here, let me try it.

I shall join you in a few minutes.

Maroof, the chart!

Here, sharpen this.

Bahadin,

more ropeties for the sledges.

The cargo nets will need to be prepared.

Everything as strong,

but as light as possible.

Hassan, I told you

to get that knife sharpened!

No, you must try.

You can do better, you know you can.

No, Kassim, not like that.

The other way around.

Like that.

Very well, as you're so bad-tempered,

no more writing today.

Baboon!

Kassim, be quiet.

Your friend is very disobedient today.

- Please, Kassim, I'm trying to work!

- Will you be still!

Father, why is he behaving like that?

Be careful.

In the cage, in it!

Well, well, well. And what by Zeus

and all the gods have we got here?

Well, well, well. And what by Zeus

and all the gods have we got here?

- And who?

- Zenobia.

I thought as much.

- But how?

- Never mind how.

Be careful.

Remember she's a witch,

and dangerous.

Put me down! Let me go!

Don't hold me!

Don't hold me!

How dare you!

Captain... the glass jar

there on the shelf.

It's like trying to hold on to

a scorpion. Dione, clear the table.

Captain, put the jar down over there.

Make a space.

- No wonder Kassim was so violent.

- You should have left her to him.

No, Princess, no.

I want to interrogate her.

I suggest that

whatever power she has used -

- to transport herself here

and change her size -

- is similar in power and property

to that which transformed Kassim.

But what is it and where is it?

Leave her in my charge.

I will try to extract it from her.

You must take every care.

A confrontation with evil

could be dangerous.

Captain, take the princess and Dione

up on deck.

Come with me.

Now then, mistress...

What powers have you used

to shrink yourself?

- I will never tell you.

- Oh dear.

I despise brutality, -

- but at this present moment

I'm prepared to reject compassion.

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