you do or not.
- The difference between life and death?
- Precisely.
- Avon's quite capable of killing you, you know.
- I never doubted it.
Beneath that cold exterior
beats a heart of pure stone.
Shall we go?
Why not?
- Are you all right?
- A little tired.
It took me longer than I expected.
May I present Soolin. My companion.
Where are the others?
There are no others.
I wouldn't poison a good wine, Avon.
If I wanted you dead,
there are much more direct ways of achieving it.
I could snap my fingers.
And you're dead.
Fast, isn't she?
Be so good as to pour my guests
some wine, Soolin.
Surely now you can allow yourselves to trust me.
He who trusts can never be betrayed,
only mistaken.
Cally once told me that
that was a saying amongst her people.
Cally?
Cally was murdered. So were most of her people.
- Seven glasses.
- I'm sorry?
You've laid out seven glasses. One too many.
Not to worry. I'll drink the extra one.
You know, if Cally had escaped with us,
there wouldn't be an extra one.
It's just coincidence.
If you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to.
When you are ready,
Soolin will show you to your quarters.
You'll find everything there you need,
including fresh clothes.
We'll talk again when you are rested.
You really are most welcome here, my friend.
What do you think?
I think his taste in wine and women is impeccable.
Are you there?
I have them.
They're here.
That's close enough.
One of the group was killed before I got there.
But the group remains.
Bound together by time and pain
and the need to survive.
The death of the telepath will make it
more difficult,
but they can still...
be used.
Soon. It must be soon.
(Groaning)
- Get on with it, Vila.
- Will you keep your voice down?
- Can you get it open or not?
- Not. I told Avon that.
- Didn't I say there was no point in trying?
- You always say there's no point in trying.
But you usually manage to come up
with something.
Not this time. Not without a lot of equipment,
peace and quiet, and cooperation.
And in case you haven't noticed, the lady
with the gun is not particularly cooperative.
I don't think she'd be that happy
about us borrowing her boyfriend's ship,
especially without his permission.
Look, maybe there's another entrance.
- It's worth a look.
- No, it isn't.
Even if there was another entrance, it would still
have the same security system as this.
You're probably right,
so you stay here and keep working on that.
- What?
- We'll let you know if we find an easier one.
- What about Avon?
- Well, tell him where we've gone.
- He won't like it.
- It's a pity about that.
No, why should I?
I don't have to justify my existence
by going through the motions of
trying to open a door which I know is impossible.
I'm the expert.
If I say it's impossible, then it's impossible.
To hell with it.
I wonder where they keep that wine.
I naturally took the opportunity
to study all the systems on the Liberator.
A few, a very few, were of minor interest.
I would not, however, number the teleport system
amongst these.
- But you do know how it worked?
- Of course I know how it worked.
Well, then you will tell me. Now.
There seems little point in wasting time
on such an explanation
since you would be incapable of understanding it.
- Don't be insolent.
- A statement of fact cannot be insolent.
Besides, insolence implies
an emotional relationship,
which does not and could not exist between us.
Orac must make a refreshing change
from that flight computer of yours.
Come on in, Avon.
Neat job.
Thank you.
I thought you would probably
have the necessary equipment somewhere around,
but I didn't expect you to do the work as well.
- Who designed it?
- His name was Ensor.
I should have known.
He was never a gracious man.
- Orac reflects his personality.
- Orac was the culmination of his life's work.
He bequeathed it to an associate of mine...
who bequeathed it to me.
You must have