MARCO POLO
EPISODE 3 - FIVE HUNDRED EYES
by JOHN LUCAROTTI
first broadcast - 7th March, 1964
running time - 23mins 20secs
1. THE OASIS
(TEGANA rides towards the oasis, and thirstily drinks the water. He fills a water gourd and triumphantly holds it to the sky.)
TEGANA: Here's water Marco Polo.
(Tegana pours the water into the sand.)
TEGANA: Come for it...
2. MARCO POLO'S JOURNAL
POLO: (Writing in journal.) What has happened to Tegana? Is he lost? Perhaps he never found the oasis. But in the hope he did, I inched our
caravan forward through the night. What misery. A bitterly cold wind swept down from the north and set us shivering as we stumbled on. I fear the end is not far
off.
3. CAMP, GOBI DESERT
(Barbara and Ian are resting with Polo and Ping-Cho. All lie slumped in the shade of the wagon.)
POLO: (Looking out into the desert.) No sign of Tegana.
IAN: Nothing but sand...
POLO: Tegana is our only hope now.
BARBARA: Surely, he should be back by now.
POLO: He would not start back from the oasis in the dark, for fear of missing us.
PING-CHO: Then we must get going.
POLO: Yes...
(But Polo is too tired to move. IAN continues to stare hopefully into the surrounding desert.)
IAN: Hot again soon Marco. Hadn't we better get started?
POLO: We would not get very far, Ian. No, we must wait here.
BARBARA: The Doctor and Susan are still in the TARDIS.
IAN: Oh, let them sleep Barbara.
4. INTERIOR - THE TARDIS
(In the TARDIS, the Doctor is sleeping. He is gradually woken by droplets of water splashing on his face.)
DOCTOR: Oh... water.... water.... water!...
(Realising there is condensation covering the TARDIS walls, the DOCTOR quickly jumps out of his bunk. He rushes over to the other bunk, and attempts to wake
SUSAN.)
DOCTOR: Susan, Susan, child. Susan, wake up. Wake up, quickly!
(Susan slowly wakes up.)
DOCTOR: Fetch some cloth and cups.
(SUSAN mumbles incoherently.)
DOCTOR: We must catch the water... we mustn't waste a drop! Come along, child, wake up, quickly! Look at it... it's streaming down the walls. Look, we
must collect it. It's water! We must... quickly... quickly... before the ship heats up in the sun... hurry child... hurry please...
(During the next few minutes, the Doctor and Susan frantically sponge all the water from the TARDIS walls.)
5. CAMP, GOBI DESERT
(Outside, the others are preparing to leave.)
IAN: Not a sign of him...
(The DOCTOR and SUSAN suddenly emerge from the TARDIS, each carrying a jug of water.)
SUSAN: (Rushing forward.) Water! Look! Water!
DOCTOR: Please wait - we must be careful.
POLO: This is in your caravan?
DOCTOR: Yes, but it's not pure water you see...
POLO: (Furiously.) You told me you weren't carrying any Doctor!
DOCTOR: I haven't got any water, don't you understand. I wouldn't allow us to get into this state if I had water, young man. No this was the water that
was running off the walls. It's condensation, it's unbelievable! Condensation, do you understand?
POLO: No, I do not understand!
DOCTOR: Chesterton, make him understand! It was condensation off the walls and I...
POLO: (Furious.) The old man lied to me!
(IAN and SUSAN both try to calm POLO down.)
IAN: Marco, you remember, last night it was cold. Bitterly cold, Marco. The outside of the caravan cooled, but the inside stayed warm - and so
moisture formed on the inside. It's condensation, we just call it that... it's just a name.
SUSAN: That's true, Messr Marco. It was running down the walls, and from the ceiling. We... we took it in this... (Indicating the cloth.) ...look,
we squeezed it in here. (Indicating the cup.) you see?
DOCTOR: You understand now? Hmm?
POLO: (Suspiciously.) I have seen this happen. Let me see you drink it.
(IAN gladly accepts the offer, and swallows a mouth of water.)
DOCTOR: Not too much... steady...
6. THE OASIS
(Therefore, refreshed, the caravan makes its way to the oasis while the travellers are reunited with a surprised TEGANA.)
TEGANA: There were bandits here last night when I arrived. So I had to wait in hiding until this morning when they left. And then, when I prepared to
leave for you, I saw your caravan coming across the desert towards me.
POLO: Had the Doctor not discovered water, you might have been too late to save us, Tegana.
BARBARA: And are those bandits likely to return?
TEGANA: No, no, I overheard them saying they were going to ride for Karakorum.
BARBARA: Karakorum? That used to be to the north, on the great steppes.
POLO: It still is, Barbara. Well, the sooner we leave here the better...
BARBARA: But Marco...
POLO: This oasis is dangerous, Barbara. We must leave here as soon as possible.
BARBARA: Marco, we're all in need of rest, and the Doctor is still very weak.
POLO: We will stay here until tomorrow morning - no longer. Please tell the others.
(BARBARA walks off to join the DOCTOR, IAN and SUSAN next to the oasis. TEGANA is left alone with Polo. He begins to chuckle.)
POLO: What amuses you?
TEGANA: You don't really believe their story, do you, of water forming inside a caravan?
POLO: Yes. I know it to be true.
7. OASIS
(Meanwhile, by the oasis, the DOCTOR is discussing the broken TARDIS circuit with the rest of the crew.)
DOCTOR: I think I can repair the circuit in a week, maybe less.
BARBARA: We're leaving here tomorrow.
DOCTOR: Oh, we're always rushing around... a day's rest would do us all a lot of good...
BARBARA: Marco's worried about bandits.
DOCTOR: Oh, rubbish!
BARBARA: Tegana said there were some here last night. Well if they were, they were very clean about it.
IAN: What do you mean?
BARBARA: Look, last night was very cold. But there's no sign of a fire having been lit.
IAN: Well, perhaps they didn't want anyone to know they'd been here.
BARBARA: Yes, that may be. But I think Tegana just used the bandits as an excuse for not coming back to us with water.
IAN: Maybe. Well, the thing to do is to ask Tegana.
TEGANA: (Arriving on the scene.) Ask Tegana what?
IAN: How many bandits were there here last night?
TEGANA: Twelve.
IAN: It was a cold night. Didn't they light a fire?
(POLO also joins the group.)
POLO: (Lightly dismissing the topic.) If they had, Ian, the remains would still be visible. Doctor?
DOCTOR: Well?
POLO: Barbara may have told you that we're leaving here tomorrow, so get all the rest you can today. You may use your caravan again, but before we leave
in the morning, it will be locked, and the key handed over to me.
DOCTOR: Young man, you have no concept of what is happening, have you? And you still don't seem to realise that you're speaking to a man of superior
intellect.
8. MARCO POLO'S JOURNAL
POLO: (Writing in journal.) My conscience pricks me. I was adamant, despite the Doctor's protests, that the key and his caravan should be
handed over to me. Now we journey on across this burning desert and I shall not rest until I see the temple spires of the city of Tun-Huang.
9. WAY STATION, AT TUN-HUANG
(The caravan has arrived at the bustling way station of Tun-Huang. This way station is even more extravagant than the one at Lop. BARBARA, SUSAN and PING-CHO
are amazed by the view of the city from the inn.)
SUSAN: I've never seen so many temples in my life!
PING-CHO: Tun-Huang is a famous city, Susan.
SUSAN: Yes...
BARBARA: Isn't the cave of the thousand Buddhas near here?
SUSAN: Thousand Buddhas?
(POLO joins the group.)
POLO: Yes. Have you heard of the cave of the five hundred eyes?
BARBARA: No, I haven't.
PING-CHO: I do not know that one either, Messr Marco.
BARBARA: I'm intrigued by this cave, Marco. Why is it called five hundred eyes?
POLO: On the walls are painted the faces of two hundred and fifty evil men who once lived there. They were the Hashashins.
SUSAN: Hashashins?
POLO: Yes, and they were so called because they used a drug - hashish.
SUSAN: Are there still Hashashins in the cave?
POLO: No, Susan. They were put to the sword twenty years ago by a great Mongol conqueror called Hulagu.
PING-CHO: There is a story of Hulagu and the Hashashins.
SUSAN: Oh, tell it to us, Ping-Cho.
PING-CHO: Later, if you wish.
SUSAN: Why not now?
PING-CHO: It needs preparation.
(PING-CHO walks off to prepare for the presentation)
SUSAN: Oh...
10. WAY STATION
(In another corner of the way station, the DOCTOR and IAN are talking.)
DOCTOR: It seems we shall be stopping here for a while - it means I can get on with more work.
IAN: (Looks at the DOCTOR in puzzlement.) Huh?
DOCTOR: Oh, repairing the circuit, young man...
IAN: Aren't you forgetting something, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Don't you realise they will be much less vigilant? I shall be able to sneak into the TARDIS, no worry at all!
IAN: Yes, but you've given Marco Polo the key.
DOCTOR: A key, my boy. A key. What use do you think it's going to be to him? Hmmm? And where do you suppose I got that from? Huh?
(The DOCTOR triumphantly holds up a second TARDIS key.)
IAN: (Laughing.) I have no idea.
DOCTOR: I made it.
IAN: Made it? When?
DOCTOR: On the night of the oasis. Only chance I had - she knows all about it, don't you Susan?
SUSAN: (Wandering over.) Yes!
IAN: (Laughing.) You crafty old fox!
(The DOCTOR and SUSAN chuckle along with IAN.)
SUSAN: Grandfather.
DOCTOR: Yes?
SUSAN: What do you know about the Hashashins?
DOCTOR: Well... now, let me think... let me think... yes, they were some kind of sect. Why?
SUSAN: Well, Ping-Cho knows a story and she's going to tell us about it.
DOCTOR: Oh, how delightful! Yes... yes... why not?
11. WAY STATION
(The DOCTOR and SUSAN sit down for the presentation. BARBARA moves closer to IAN.)
BARBARA: Ian, Ian, I must talk to you.
IAN: What is it?
BARBARA: It's about Tegana. I caught him off-guard.
IAN: Sssh! Later. Come and sit over here...
BARBARA: (Preferring to stand up.) No, I'll be all right over here.
(SUSAN walks over to one of the interior doors of the way station, and opens it.)
SUSAN: (Calling out.) Ping-Cho... oh, Ping-Cho, are you ready?
PING-CHO: (Calling back.) I am ready, Susan.
SUSAN: Oh, good.
(Everyone sits down in anticipation. There is a gentle round of applause as PING-CHO enters. She is lavishly dressed in a long blue silk robe, over which she
wears a knee-length red jacket. She bows to the audience, and commences her recital...)
PING-CHO: Gracious maidens, gentle lords
Pray attend me while I tell my tale
Of Ala-eddin, the Old Man of the Mountain
Who by devious schemes, evil designs
And foul murders ruled the land.
No host of arms, no vast array
Of banners served this wicked lord.
They were but few - ruthless, reckless men
Who obeyed his cruel commands.
Thus did he persuade them
Promising paradise, he gave his followers
A potent draught and whilst they slept
Transported them to a vale where
Streams of milk and honey, wine and water, flowed.
Here were gardens and flowers of every hue
And essence. Here, too Golden pavilions outshone the sun
And even the stars of heaven envied
The bejewelled interiors strewn with incomparable silks, tapestries,
And treasures.
Hand-maidens, dulcet-voiced
Soft of face, attended them, and thus bemused
Did they dwell in this man-made paradise
Until Ala-eddin intent upon some evil deed
Proffered again the hashish draught
And brought them sleeping to his castle.
What lord, are we cast out of paradise
Awakening, they cried.
Not so, Go abroad, seek out my enemies
And strike them down.
But care not for your lives.
Paradise is eternal.
So terror stalked the land for many years.
Then one day, came mighty Hulagu
To stand before Ala-eddin's lair
For three long years in siege
And thus fell Ala-eddin and his men.
Now honest hands reap harvests of life
From the soil where death and evil Reigned.
And those who journey
Through the vale are heard to say
Tis truly paradise today.
(There is generous round of applause as Ping-Cho concludes the tale.)
DOCTOR: That was really delightful...
PING-CHO: Thank you - my Lord is kind.
POLO: Thank you, Ping-Cho.
IAN: Charming, Ping-Cho, charming. Susan, do you know that we use the word Hashashin in English today?
SUSAN: No.
IAN: Yes - assassins.
SUSAN: Assassin!
IAN: Yes.
SUSAN: Ping-Cho, is the lair of Ala-eddin really near here?
PING-CHO: No, Susan. It was on a mountain called Mount Alumet in Persia.
SUSAN: Persia! But Messr Marco said that Hulagu killed the Hashashins near here.
(At this point, TEGANA silently leaves the room. BARBARA, without anyone else noticing, follows Tegana.)
POLO: So he did, Susan. Some of Ala-eddin's followers lived near here, in the cave of 500 eyes.
12. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES
(TEGANA enters the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes. He peers into the darkness.)
TEGANA: Malik? Malik?
(An elderly man shuffles from out of the darkness, coughing and spluttering.)
MALIK: Who calls my name?
TEGANA: Tegana, the Mongol Warlord.
MALIK: We have waited for you Tegana.
TEGANA: You need wait no more, old man. What news from Noghai?
MALIK: You shall hear it. You shall hear it. Come - follow me.
(TEGANA follows MALIK into a secret chamber. A few seconds later, BARBARA enters the main part of the cave. She cautiously feels her way through the
darkness.)
13. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES - INNER CHAMBER
(In the inner chamber of the cave, TEGANA is greeted by another warrior of Noghai, ACOMAT.)
ACOMAT: Welcome.
TEGANA: Acomat! What news from Noghai?
ACOMAT: He has formed his army and marches now for Karakorum.
TEGANA: Good.
ACOMAT: Where he will await news of your success.
TEGANA: I will not fail him.
ACOMAT: You failed at Lop. You were to meet our courier on the third night in the desert.
TEGANA: There was a sandstorm.
ACOMAT: He did not return...
MALIK: Before the courier left, he spoke of gifts to Noghai.
TEGANA: Yes - a caravan that flies.
(MALIK laughs.)
TEGANA: It belongs to an old magician who accompanies us. Polo's taking it to the Kublai Khan.
ACOMAT: With such a caravan, Noghai would be invincible.
TEGANA: Yes, that is why you must capture it. You will attack our caravan as we're going to Shang-Tu.
ACOMAT: It shall be done.
TEGANA: And then, deliver it to Noghai.
ACOMAT: And Polo, and those that go with him? What of them? Kill them?
TEGANA: Of course...
(MALIK suddenly reappears. He is in a flustered state.)
MALIK: Did a woman accompany you here?
TEGANA: No.
MALIK: There is one in the outer cave now.
(TEGANA is surprised. He draws his sword.)
14. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES
(BARBARA feels her way through the cave trying to discover where TEGANA has gone. She slowly makes her way down one of the passages... as TEGANA silently
emerges from the inner chamber. He moves around behind BARBARA, and creeps towards her. Barbara screams as she is grabbed from behind.)
15. INTERIOR - WAY STATION
(TEGANA has returned to the way station. BARBARA's disappearance has been noticed by the others. POLO is furious.)
POLO: This is the most dangerous thing she could have done! What kind of country do you come from where a woman can wander alone through the streets
at night?
TEGANA: You will never find her alive in Tun-Huang.
IAN: We won't find her sitting here.
(IAN prepares to walk off, but Polo stops him.)
POLO: Wait, Ian. We will search together. The city is divided into distinct areas. Tegana, you will take one, we will take another. We will meet back
here in two hours' time.
IAN: Well, let's get started.
DOCTOR: Do you need my help?
POLO: No, Doctor, you stay here. And nobody else move.
(POLO, IAN and TEGANA walk off to search for BARBARA. The DOCTOR places a comforting arm around SUSAN.)
DOCTOR: Don't worry, child. We'll find her. Don't worry.
16. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES - INNER CHAMBER
(BARBARA has been tied up in the inner chamber of the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes. Nearby, a group of Mongol warriors taunt her as they play dice.)
17. COURTYARD - WAY STATION
(Back at the way station, the DOCTOR has realised this is the perfect opportunity to work on the TARDIS. As he emerges from the TARDIS and locks the door,
SUSAN and PING-CHO appear.)
SUSAN: Grandfather... grandfather...
(The Doctor peers suspiciously at PING-CHO.)
SUSAN: Don't worry about Ping-Cho, you can trust her.
DOCTOR: (Reluctantly.) Well, it looks as though I must, doesn't it? What is it, hmm?
SUSAN: We think we might know where Barbara is.
DOCTOR: Oh, where?
PING-CHO: Messr Marco was telling us about the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes.
SUSAN: Yes, and Barbara was very interested. So we thought she might have gone off and had a look without asking anybody, because Messr Marco might have
tried to stop her.
DOCTOR: Do you know where this Cave of Five Hundred Eyes is?
PING-CHO: I do not know my lord. But Chenchu would know.
(The DOCTOR notices that CHENCHU, the manager of the way station, is cleaning one of the tables nearby. The DOCTOR beckons him over.)
DOCTOR: Aha, my friend! And how long have you been lurking there? Hmmm?
CHENCHU: I arrived this very moment my lord.
DOCTOR: Where is the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes?
CHENCHU: The Cave of Five Hundred...
DOCTOR: Yes. Where is it?
CHENCHU: On the road to Su-Chow my Lord. Set back against the foothills.
DOCTOR: Well, how far is it from here?
CHENCHU: About a third of a league, my lord.
DOCTOR: A mile, a mile, yes...
(The DOCTOR turns to SUSAN and PING-CHO.)
DOCTOR: Now you two go back in there and wait... go along... go along... go along...
CHENCHU: My lord is going there now? At this time of night? But it is haunted, my lord, the spirits of the Hashashins... you should not go, my lord.
(The DOCTOR laughs.)
SUSAN: You mustn't go there alone, grandfather. And anyway, we must stay with you.
PING-CHO: Messr Marco will be angry - he told us to stay here.
DOCTOR: Never mind about him. Which road?
CHENCHU: The road to Su-Chow...
SUSAN: Grandfather, you'll never find it on your own. Come on!
DOCTOR: Yes all right, if you insist! Then come along, both of you, quickly!
(The DOCTOR, SUSAN and PING-CHO rush out of the inn. CHENCHU yells out a parting message.)
CHENCHU: Do not go my lord! Not at night! You will not come back alive!
(But CHENCHU's warning has no effect. The DOCTOR, SUSAN and PING-CHO have already left.)
18. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES
(The DOCTOR, SUSAN and PING-CHO enter the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes.)
PING-CHO: Frightening.
SUSAN: Look at those eyes.
PING-CHO: I'd prefer not to, Susan.
(The DOCTOR examines the 'eyes' on the wall of the cave.)
DOCTOR: (Laughing.) Extraordinary! Look! Yes, it's quartz... ha, ha... yes... a mineral ore... Look, you see the veins going through the rock
structure. And look how cleverly that face is carved so that at the eye, the quartz is exposed. Now, isn't that interesting, hmm?
SUSAN: Grandfather, we're supposed to be looking for Barbara.
DOCTOR: Hmm? Barbara? Oh yes, of course. Yes, yes, we mustn't waste time! No... come on...
(The search commences.)
DOCTOR: (Grinning mischievously.) Now, let's see if we can find the spirits...
19. INTERIOR - WAY STATION
(TEGANA has returned to the way station. He strides up to CHENCHU.)
CHENCHU: My lord?
TEGANA: Oh, it's you.
CHENCHU: He's gone my lord.
TEGANA: Gone?
CHENCHU: The old lord has gone. After you had gone, the young ladies approached me - they were looking for him.
TEGANA: Well... wasn't he in his room?
CHENCHU: Not so my lord. He was out there. (Pointing to the TARDIS in the courtyard.) That's where they found him. That's why I came and told you,
my lord. But he forced me to tell him the way to the cave.
TEGANA: (Angrily.) What cave?
CHENCHU: He forced me, my lord. He forced me...
TEGANA: (Even more forcefully.) What cave?!
CHENCHU: The Cave of Five Hundred Eyes.
TEGANA: You fool...
(TEGANA angrily pushes CHENCHU away.)
CHENCHU: He forced me...
20. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES
DOCTOR: A fool's errand, it's a fool's errand, child. That's what you've brought me on. And I had so much work to do in the TARDIS. Now, come along,
we mustn't waste any more time here...
(The group walks towards the exit of the cave.)
DOCTOR: Barbara's probably in bed and asleep by now. If you had any sense, where both of you should be!
(PING-CHO finds and picks up a handkerchief from the ground.)
PING-CHO: My lord, look.
DOCTOR: Hmmm?
SUSAN: That's Barbara's! She must have been here.
(SUSAN and PING-CHO begin calling BARBARA's name.)
21. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES - INNER CHAMBER
(The yelling is heard by the warriors in the inner chamber.)
22. CAVE OF FIVE HUNDRED EYES
(SUSAN and PING-CHO continue yelling BARBARA's name. SUSAN screams - pointing to the cave wall.)
SUSAN: They moved... The eyes moved!
NEXT EPISODE : THE WALL OF LIES
Doctor Who
WILLIAM HARTNELL
Ian Chesterton
WILLIAM RUSSELL
Barbara Wright
JACQUELINE HILL
Susan Foreman
CAROLE ANN FORD
Marco Polo
MARK EDEN
Tegana
DERRIN NESBITT
Ping-Cho
ZIENIA MERTON
Chenchu
JIMMY GARDNER
Malik
CHARLES WADE
Acomat
PHILIP VOSS
Title music composed by
RON GRAINER
and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Incidental Music
TRISTRAM CARY
Story Editor
DAVID WHITAKER
Designer
BARRY NEWBERY
Associate Producer
MERVYN PINFIELD
Producer
VERITY LAMBERT
Director
WARIS HUSSEIN
Transcribed by
BRUCE ROBINSON
Script Adaption / Editing / Additional Description
LEE HORTON
Corrections by
JULIAN HAYLOCK
MAL