Ferdinand Archduke
Professor Ferdinand Archduke was a Knight of Jeneve and an Earth Literature lecturer at St Oscar's University.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Early life[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ferdinand Archduke had what seemed to be an old Earth accent, hinting at his origins, (PROSE: Oh No It Isn't! [+]Loading...["Oh No It Isn't! (novel)"]) and was a relatively lowly member of the Knights of Jeneve. He achieved a doctorate and specialised in Obscure Theatrical Forms so as to make it easier to get in contact with Irving Braxiatel, known to be an incredible source of information.
Archduke applied to join the Department of Theatrology, which was headed by Braxiatel, at St Oscar's University on Dellah. However, Braxiatel rejected his application, not being impressed by his work, (PROSE: Dragons' Wrath [+]Loading...["Dragons' Wrath (novel)"]) and he instead came to work in the Department of Literature of the Milky Way, lecturing in Earth Literature. (PROSE: Oh No It Isn't! [+]Loading...["Oh No It Isn't! (novel)"])
Work for the Knights[[edit] | [edit source]]
In 2593, Archduke fitted the module containing his thesis, English Pantomime: A Critical Study, with a homing device and gave it to Bernice Summerfield, who agreed to read it on her way to Perfecton after he claimed to have found and rescued Wolsey. The homing device attracted a missile which compromised the thesis and caused elements of pantomime to become reality for Benny and the others who went to the planet.
Archduke later spoke before the senate and feigned surprise at what had happened. He secretly summoned the thesis to him before it could be checked for a homing device. Benny had suspected his involvement, but wondered if the conspiracy was too big for one academic. (PROSE: Oh No It Isn't! [+]Loading...["Oh No It Isn't! (novel)"])
When Irving Braxiatel attracted the attention of the Grand Master of the Knights of Jeneve, the Grand Master empowered Archduke to meet with Braxiatel and Benny and give them some information on the Knights as well as the Gamalian Dragon. Archduke provided them with blueprints of the Dragon, the veracity of which Braxiatel would later question, and admitted that the Knights deliberately lost the Battle of Bocaro so that Hugo Gamaliel would claim the Dragon. (PROSE: Dragons' Wrath [+]Loading...["Dragons' Wrath (novel)"]) Another account of Benny's adventure involving the Gamalian Dragon did not include Archduke. (AUDIO: Dragons' Wrath [+]Loading...["Dragons' Wrath (audio story)"])
Archduke was aware of Benny and Braxiatel's investigations[which?] but did nothing to try to stop them, which worried Benny. He visited Channel 8's holostudio and excised their prerecorded segment on the area of space around Ardethe for the Knights. (PROSE: Deadfall [+]Loading...["Deadfall (novel)"])
Appearance[[edit] | [edit source]]
Archduke had a face which was lined with experience and looked like that of a vicar or a comedian. His eyes, Benny thought, "danc[ed] with interest", making the person that he was talking to feel like the most important person in the world. He wore a cloak (PROSE: Oh No It Isn't! [+]Loading...["Oh No It Isn't! (novel)"]) and a broad-brimmed hat. (PROSE: Dragons' Wrath [+]Loading...["Dragons' Wrath (novel)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Whilst Archduke is mentioned in the audio adaptation of Oh No It Isn't! [+]Loading...["Oh No It Isn't! (novel)"], he does not actually appear.
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian throne whose assassination caused World War I.
