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Publisher's Summary
'The King's balls get bigger every year!'
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is settling into her new job as Professor of Archaeology at St. Oscar's University on the planet Dellah — one of the most prestigious centres of learning in the Milky Way. She wants to put her past, especially her failed marriage, behind her.
So she's glad when she gets the chance to take her tutorial group to investigate the lost civilisation of Perfecton. Three whole weeks of archaeological research in the field. The perfect way to forget your worries.
She doesn't bank on three things.
That Menlove Stokes, Professor of Applied Art, and various other academics would be along for the ride. That vicious alien marauders would decide to explore the planet at the same time. And that a reactivated Perfecton device would plunge her into a situation that can only be described as — panto.
Characters
- Benny uses Ah: A Perfume For An Alien or Human.
- Benny has the name Dick Whittington in the panto reality.
- Professor of Applied Arts at Dellah University.
- This is the first appearance of Benny's robotic porter (looks like a hovering sphere).
- Michael Doran
References
- Benny usually tries to get a word out of the Goll security who guard the Advanced Research Department.
- St. Oscar's University is located on the planet Dellah, the Sultan of Tashwari was the original founder of the university.
- Benny gives Michael Doran Make Dangerous Love to Me - The Erotic Poetry of Carla Tsampiras, which supposedly according to Benny "There are bits about archaeology.".
- God sends members of the Tiny But Interesting Interest Group to contact Benny about becoming an agent for them.
- Benny is still working (and trying to get out of writing) her sequel to Down Among the Dead Men.
Notes
- This novel was adapted by Jacqueline Rayner as a Big Finish audio drama (see Oh No It Isn't)
- There are quite a lot of "dick" jokes throughout the novel (primarily made by Wolsey).
Continuity
- Benny was taken to Dellah by the Eighth Doctor at the end of NA: The Dying Days.
- Benny first met God in NA: The Also People.
- This novel introduces Marcus Krytell, Benny meets him in BNA: Ship of Fools.