The Phoenicians (audio story)
The Phoenicians was the first story in the audio anthology The First Doctor Adventures: Volume Three, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Marc Platt and featured David Bradley as the First Doctor, Claudia Grant as Susan Foreman, Jemma Powell as Barbara Wright and Jamie Glover as Ian Chesterton.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
In ancient Tyre, the Phoenician civilisation commands the oceans. But times are turbulent – the young King's quarrel with his sister threatens to divide the nation.
On perilous seas, Ian becomes Princess Elissa's favourite, while Susan and Barbara face losing their freedom. In the city, the Doctor falls foul of King Pygmalion.
As they reach dangerous shores, the travellers fight to survive as legend becomes history...
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Purple and the Gold (1)[[edit] | [edit source]]
At the end of their previous adventure in Japan, the TARDIS lands once again, but a fault in the scanner doesn't allow the crew to see what's outside; therefore, the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara venture out. They find themselves once again on Earth, near a city built on a nearby cliff over the sea. From her reading of a Bible in the TARDIS, Susan guesses it's Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city. As the travellers starts walking towards it, not far off Elissa, the Princess of the city, is consulting the priest Tubal for an oracle: he answers foreseeing a vision of blood and darkness, and the coming of a pale-skinned stranger.
In the city, King Pygmalion laments Tubal's assence: he wants to inaugurate his new ship, for which he spent a fortune going agains the wishes of the elders, but the inauguration has to wait for Tubal to bless the vessel and give her a name. Tubal at last comes in, and tells Pygmalion the same prophecy he told Elissa. Meanwhile, the four travellers came across a necropolis and are attacked by the people living in it, only to be saved by Elissa. They have a chance to return the favor moments later, when an unknown assassin tries to kill the princess: as Ian fights him off, Elissa is only slightly wounded at the shoulder. Out of gratitude, Elissa welcomes them all into her home, treating them as honored guests (she also arranges for the TARDIS to be transported to her palace).
She explains to them that she is a widow: her husband, the high priest of Baal (the local god), died six years earlier on this very day, and she has a strained relationship with her younger brother, Pygmalion. This is immediately proven true when the King comes to visit her, to invite her at the inauguration of his ship. He also notices she seems ready to depart for a voyage, which Elissa does not deny, and sees also the strangers, especially Ian, which he recognizes as a "pale-skinned stranger". Back to the palace, the King orders his men to capture Ian and bring him to him, which they do as soon as the school teacher goes for a walk in the city. Interrogated by the King, Ian refuses to answer his questions, and he is therefore condamned to be part of the inaugural "sacrifice" for the ship.
At the ceremony, Pygmalion startles his sister by declaring that the ship brings the name of her dead husband, while the Doctor, Barbara and Susan in horror sees Ian, together with other men, deposited alongside the slide the ship must slip on to reach the sea - crushing the men's heads in the process.
The Hireling (2)[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Doctor tries to stop the sacrifice by strutting out to Pygmalion and presenting himself as a messenger from Baal, but no avail: the King still gives the order, and the ship is launched. A distressed Barbara tries to get near to see Ian's body, but is driven away by Susan and Elissa; as for the Doctor, he tries to reach them but loses them in the commotion, and is finally intercepted by Tubal. The prophet takes him to his home and then tries to ascertain if he really is a messenger from above. When the Doctor shows reluctance, Tubal locks him up in a room, in an attempt to force him to show his presumed power so they could work together.
Elissa brings Susan and Barbara to the temple, and leaves them alone as she goes to retrieve the sacred flame of the gods once kept by her husband. The three women are also reached by Bitias, officially one of Pygmalion's captains (and the one he entrusted his new ship to), but actually a supporter of Elissa: as the princess, he too does not suffer the young prince's megalomania. He brings a hooded figure with him, which is revealed to be Ian, saved by Bitias on the Princess' order. Elissa reveals to the travellers that she is leaving Tyre, together with many supporters, and she will do by stealing her brother's new ship. She has also ordered the TARDIS to be brought on the deck of the new ship, intending to bring it and the travellers with them. Ian, Susan and Barbara object, but with no real choice, they still accompany Elissa to the harbor.
The Doctor manages to trick Tubal and escapes his imprisonment, but he arrives too late at the harbor: ignoring Susan's distressed protests, Elissa leaves Tyre, accompanied by the majority of the city council and taking with her the sacred flame and half of her brother's treasure. Left behind, the Doctor is captured by Pygmalion and interrogated by him and his high priest, Maygo: he tries to present himself once again as a messenger from the gods and demanding the recovery of the TARDIS, but his ruse doesn't work and he is sentenced to death. On the deck of the main ship, Elissa informs Ian and Barbara they are going to Cyprus, and makes it clear she is interested in Ian romantically. In the TARDIS, Susan is keeping herself busy reading, and has stumbled upon Virgil's Aeneid, where she found the story of Dido - a Phoenician princess from Tyre escaping her brother.
In Tyre, the Doctor is visited in his cell by Pygmalion's masked assassin - a woman from Scythia, Aiyaruc. She has come to kill him after Pygmalion's order, but first she wants to know if he is truly as powerful as he claims. The Doctor's hesitation declares him just a man, and Aiyaruc, though stating her dislike for Pygmalion, draws her sword, ready to spill blood.
Legends and Lies (3)[[edit] | [edit source]]
On the ship, Ian and Barbara talk about Susan and how she seems fine, like nothing has happened but will not come out of the TARDIS. Barbara tells Ian about Susan's theory that Elissa might be the mythical queen Dido. Ian comments how Dido goes on to found Carthage and that Elissa is "quite something." Barbara is bothered by this comments and says, "if you like that sort of thing." Ian reassures her that his didn't mean it like that and reminds her that they are in this together.
Elissa and Bitias discuss plans. The oil for the sacred lamp is running out, they left in such a hurry that they did not pack any. They need to reach Cyprus to get more supplies before going on to found a new Tyre. Elissa also mentions the possibility of adding Ian to her council. Bitias does not like this idea and he also raises his concerns of most the men in their crew do not have wives meaning that they cannot found a lasting new society. When the conversation turns into an argument, Ian intervenes to try to find out what is going on. Bitias tells Ian and Barbara that Elissa is concerned about the flame going out. When Barbara asks why they can't light it later, Baitias explains that the gods are fickle and that they are only play things and they must keep the gods happy. Then Baitias starts getting suspicious about why Susan won't come out of the TARDIS and demands to be let inside. Elissa calls Baitias away. Ian and Barbara concerned that the Phoenicians might start to get desperate and start sacrificing people. Susan comes out of the TARDIS with another oil lamp. She had been using the scanner to eavesdrop.
Ian and Baitias use the oil from the Doctor's lamp to feed the sacred flame. Elissa is pleased and offers Ian a spot on her council and he says that he will think about it. Baitias is not pleased when he hears the offer being made.
The ship arrives in Cyprus. Elissa and Bitias talk about how much would need to be sacrificed for various things. Elissa wants to know how much she would need to sacrifice to atone if she killed her brother. Bitias says the Doctor or his friends might know. Elissa tells him that they are as mortal as they are and Bitias says that this is good to know.
Elissa asks Barbara to come with her to the temple. Barbara agrees and tells Elissa that they plan to stay in Cyprus to wait for the Doctor. Elissa says that she had had that planed for them.
In the market Ian asks Bitias why he is not happy with him and finds out that Bitias has feelings for Elissa. Ian decides to go around the market while Bitias buys some weapons. And notes for the first time that his watch has stopped.
In the temple, while waiting for the priest Elissa tells Barbara how she married her husband when she was 16 and that her brother had him killed because he was richer than he was. And Elissa found out about it years later when her husband came to her in a dream. Elissa asks if Barbara and Ian are married and Barbara says no. Barbara finds out that Elissa plans to enroll Barbara and Susan as acolytes in the temple of love which is basically a prostitution market. Barbara gets enraged and storms out. She runs into a very enthusiastic salesman and has a panic attack. Ian appears and comforts her and she tells him what Elissa has planned.
Bitias comes back to the ship and talks to Susan. Susan asks if he saw the eagal that looked like the one they say in Tyre. Bitias tells Susan that their are ships coming and it might be the king. And he tells Susan that Elissa and Barbara went to go make a deal to leave Susan at the temple. Susan is not happy about being left behind.
Ian and Barbara confront Elissa about enrolling Barbara and Susan at the temple. She does not see why they are upset and says if they do not like her arrangements they should make their own. Ian says that suits them fine. And Elissa says that Ian is coming with them as her counselor. She also reveals that she made a deal with the high priest to take 80 women with them to be wives for her men. Elissa says that Barbara and Susan can come with them and that they can find husbands for them. Susan runs into this conversation, adding to the confusion. Barbara comes up with excuse on the fly that they cannot be married off because they are in the service of the gods. Ian also insists that they are going to stay in the city. Elissa says that if she must release Ian from her service then she is going to keep the TARDIS as payment. Bitias comes and reports that the king's ships have spotted and they must go now. The Doctor and Aiyaruc also appear. Aiyaruc says that the Doctor is under her protection and they got here by their own means but the king is coming and they should leave.
The Doctor reveals that Aiyaruc fulfilled her oath to spill blood by killing one of the rats in his cell. The Doctor also says they should not leave yet because Elissa is going to be Dido and things are just starting to get interesting.
The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, Ian, and Aiyaruc go to come aboard Elissa's ship. Elissa was hesitant to let them board but Ian says that they swear their loyalty to her.
The king's fleet ambushes Elissa's ship. Elissa tells Pygmalion that he should surrender or the Doctor will use his powers against him, and the king calls their bluff.
The Bull's Hide (4)[[edit] | [edit source]]
Aiyaruc sends her eagle to attack the king. The king has the eagle killed. The Doctor says he needs the cargo of shields and Ian's help. They polish the bronze and reflect the sun onto one spot on the ship that is ahead on them and start it on fire. They get away from the king.
Three days later Ian encourages Elissa to go further than the next settlement and start a new settlement. Bitais does not like this idea.
In the TARDIS Barbara talks to the Doctor about how she has no one to talk to because the temple ladies are not much for conversation and Ian is spending all his time helping Elissa. She also has reservations about how this is going to end because to story of Dido ends with her heart broken by Trojans named Aeneas. The Doctor tells her that the dates don't line up with the destruction of Troy and the founding of Carthage, and she has nothing to worry about. And Barbara points out that the name Aeneas sounds alot like Ian.
Barbara notices that Ian's watch is missing. Ian says it probably fell off at that market. Barbara and Ian remark that for them it would be around March 4th, 1964 back home. The Doctor finds Aiyaruc teaching Susan how to use a sword and is not pleased.
The ship makes land and Ian and Barbara sent ashore to start trade with the natives. The leader is not impressed with the spices and silks but is interested in the weapons. Elissa is very happy with Ian's mission and announces that Ian will be her consort. She says that he can keep his wife (Barbara) but he will rule with her. Barbara tells Elissa that they are not married. On hearing this Elissa says her way to Ian is open at last.
Susan finds a scorpion in her bed. Elissa takes this as a sign that her brother his here. Pygmalion tries to get Bitias back on his side. Bitias agrees.
Aiyaruc offers for Barbara and Susan to come with her back to her homeland and to get away from these men that act like gods.
King Hiarbas (the native leader) says he will trade them and give them land the size of a bull's hide.
Pygmalion starts a fire. Ian is trapped by fallen debis. Bitias is on the fence about letting him out but when Barbara comes he helps Ian out. Bitias says that he has seen Pygmalion and he was going to try to lure him into a trap but he has lost him.
Pygmalion tries to kill Elissa with a scorpion but is interrupted by Ian and Bitias, followed by Aiyaruc on an elephant. Elissa let Pygmalion go and let him take the ship and the flame.
The Doctor releases Aiyaruc from his service and she goes off on her own adventures.
King Hiarbas is not happy about the attack on his village. Elissa says he will be compensated. Elissa also agrees to the land offer as long as the bull's hide is a bull elephant. Hiarbas says that it is. Elissa asks if she can cut it into strips and put it around the nearby hill and Hiarbas agrees. And then Elissa offers the TARDIS as a gift. The tardis team start to protest and wonder where the Doctor is. Upon hearing the argument, Hiarbas thinks the whole thing is a ruse and says that he will not trade them land after all. Inside the TARDIS the Doctor phases the engines to make a great noise and then uses the TARDIS's speaker to proclaim that they are from the gods and the gods are sumining them back. Ian takes the hint and leads the rest of the tardis crew into the TARDIS. The Doctor also proclaims that Elissa's name will be changed to Dido and that Hiarbas should give her the land. Before getting into the TARDIS Ian tells Elissa that she should name the city Carthage and tells Bitias that Elissa is all his. And then the TARDIS dematerialized.
Inside the TARDIS Barbara and Ian make up and Ian give Barbara jeweled bracelet from the market that he traded his watch for.
Something starts to interfere with the TARDIS and things start to explode. Ian and Barbara offer to help and the Doctor refuses their help saying he can manage himself. And then realizes that he might not be able to manage and this might be the end...
Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor - David Bradley
- Susan - Claudia Grant
- Ian Chesterton - Jamie Glover
- Barbara Wright - Jemma Powell
- Princess Elissa of Tyre - Ajjaz Awad
- King Pygmalion of Tyre - Jo Ben Ayed
- Aiyaruc / Hanna - Orion Ben
- Bitias - Youssef Kerkour
- Tubal / Maygo / King Hiarbas of Tunis - Raad Rawi
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- When Susan asks if Pygmalion wasn't the one "who fell in love with his statue", Barbara tells her there was also the Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and the musical My Fair Lady.
- Kition is a port in Cyprus.
- Pygmalion claims that the Doctor is a trickster sent by the councils of Sidon or Byblos
- Susan gets a copy of the Aeniad, a Roman poem by Virgil, from the TARDIS library.
- Aitaruc is a Scythian from Scythia.
- A trader in Kition sells linens from Egypt, cloth from Sidon, coral and jewels from Aram, ebony from Rhodes, silver and tin from Tarshish, rams and goats from the princes of Arabia, wines from Helbron.
- Ashera is the goddess of love.
- The Doctor poses as an emissary of the god Melqart.
- Bitias mentions that there's already a settlement in Africa at Utica.
- Queen Jezebel was Elissa's great aunt.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- This story takes on directly after the previous one, The Barbarians and the Samurai, and leads directly into the next one, Tick-Tock World.
- This story is a "pure historical" featuring no science fiction elements apart from the presence of the Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara and the TARDIS.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Barbara refers to their previous visit to Japan. (AUDIO: The Barbarians and the Samurai)
- The Doctor mentions that, much like Ellisa and Pygmalion, he has a fractious relationship with his family. (PROSE: Lungbarrow)
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Official The Phoenicians page at bigfinish.com
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