G2008 Radio Play

G2008 Radio Play (Chapter IX)

Stone STANDS.

237. NARRATOR
12:18AM. LANTERN OF THE ABBEY. Arthur opens the transport container to look upon the Stone of Destiny. Chapter Nine: Rock of Ages. 1:06AM GMT. Arthur listens to the glowing Stone.

238. STONE
…Pointless, Arthur Pendragon, to waste time protecting any particular stone…

Stone sits.

239. NARRATOR
1:31AM. VICTORIA TOWER. Arthur, Macbeth, Hudson, Lex, Amp, Griff, Coco, Coldstone and Coldfire confer.

240. ARTHUR
Perhaps… perhaps this is all unnecessary. I don’t think we need to guard the stone.

Macbeth, Arthur, Hudson, Lexington, Amp, Coco, Griff, Coldstone & Coldfire sit. Coldsteel & Coyote STAND.

241. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 15, 6:16AM. LEITH. Coyote and Coldsteel stand side-by-side inside a warehouse.

242. COYOTE
No, I am not programmed for free will…

243. COLDSTEEL
Pity. You have potential…

COLDSTREAM GUARD, Macbeth, Xanatos, Coldstone & Coldfire STAND.

244. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 15, 10:02AM. A Coldstream Guard holds up a hand to stop a transport convoy from driving onto Coldstream Bridge.

245. COLDSTREAM GUARD
Get the bomb unit! Now!!

246. MACBETH
Macbeth to Coldstone: convoy’s stopped, and Xanatos is here.

247. XANATOS
Well, it’s a momentous occasion… and such a lovely day…

248. MACBETH
Safe to say he’s up to something.

249. COLDSTONE
Yes, safe to say.

250. NARRATOR
Coldstone and Coldfire intercept Coldsteel and Coyote heading for the Bridge.

251. COLDFIRE
Hold, brother!

252. COLDSTEEL
Hold, sister!

253. NARRATOR
Coldsteel’s tentacles grab Coldfire, forcing her arms up so that she nearly FRIES Coldstone.

254. COLDSTEEL
As you see, I’ve had time to mend my ways. Well, my appendages…

255. COLDSTONE
Release her! <pain cry>

256. NARRATOR
Coldstone’s back is raked by Coyote’s buzzsaw-arm.

257. COLDSTEEL
Now that we’re machines, don’t you love these exhilarating daytime battles…? No nasty organic gargoyles to even the odds…

258. NARRATOR
Coldfire HEAD BUTTS Coldsteel violently. His tentacles release her.

259. COLDFIRE
Consider the odds evened.

260. COLDSTEEL
A t-t-temporary s-s-setback…

261. COLDFIRE
Then let’s make it permanent.

262. COYOTE
Out of David’s respect for Goliath, I am programmed to inflict only as much damage as necessary to reach our objective. But I define the parameters of “necessary”.

263. COLDSTONE
Define this.

264. NARRATOR
Coldstone’s fist SHATTERS the half-Xanatos/half-robot skull image on Coyote’s screen. Coldstone shoves his forearm cannon down Coyote’s “throat” and fires. Coyote EXPLODES! The dented Coldsteel watches the wreckage of Coyote fall toward the RIVER TWEED below.

265. COLDSTEEL
P-p-pity. He had p-p-potential…

266. NARRATOR
Coldsteel POWER-DIVES down into the river. Coldstone follows but can find no sign of Coldsteel.

Coyote & Coldsteel sit.

267. NARRATOR
10:12AM GMT. COLDSTREAM BRIDGE. Xanatos stands between Macbeth and Arthur. A Marching Band plays. Xanatos presses a small one-button remote. Inside the Land Rover, the Stone’s metal transport container is strapped to the floor of the cargo space â€" which FLIPS over, so that the real container is replaced by a DUPLICATE (with a duplicate stone inside).

268. COLDSTREAM GUARD
Hold it down! The Bomb Squad’s at work!

269. NARRATOR
10:38AM GMT. The Guard signals the convoy forward.

270. COLDSTREAM GUARD
Right, we’re clear. Not a bomb. Just an empty shoebox.

271. COLDSTONE
Coldstone to Macbeth. We’ve lost Coldsteel.

272. MACBETH
Just stay on the alert…

273. COLDSTREAM GUARD
Let’s go! We’re behind schedule!

274. MACBETH
The Stone’s on the move again.

Coldstream Guard, Macbeth, Xanatos, Coldfire & Coldstone sit. Thailog & Shari STAND.

275. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 15, 5:43AM EST. NIGHTSTONE UNLIMITED.

276. THAILOG
Check.

277. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that on a clear Christmas night, a band of Scottish patriots broke into Westminster Abbey to steal the Stone and in the process broke it in two!

Thailog & Shari sit. Arthur & Macbeth STAND.

278. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 15, 12:00PM GMT. EDINBURGH CASTLE.

279. ARTHUR
Well?

280. MACBETH
The Stone’s back where it belongs! Well, it belongs in Scone, but at least it’s back in Scotland.

Macbeth & Arthur sit. Stone & Xanatos STAND.

281. NARRATOR
A land rover from the convoy drives past Macbeth and Arthur. 12:36PM. LEITH. The Land Rover pulls into a non-descript warehouse and stops in front of a smiling Xanatos. 1:06PM. Xanatos listens to the glowing Stone.

282. STONE
…Pointless, David Xanatos, to substitute yet another stone to fool the Illuminati…

Stone sits. Coldsteel STANDS.

283. NARRATOR
2:23PM. Coldsteel dumps pieces of Coyote shrapnel on the floor.

284. COLDSTEEL
There’s what’s left of your boy… and here’s your rock.

285. NARRATOR
Coldsteel tosses the Coyote Diamond to Xanatos.

286. XANATOS
Oh, I’m just its minder.

287. COLDSTEEL
I believe that completes our bargain…

288. XANATOS
Indeed. Consider your tracking device deactivated.

289. COLDSTEEL
Pleasure doing business with you.

Coldsteel sits. FLEUR STANDS.

290. NARRATOR
3:59PM.

291. XANATOS
Thirty-six.

292. FLEUR
Three. <pause> Any problems?

293. XANATOS
Only finding a duplicate on such short notice.

294. NARRATOR
4:04PM. Behind the wheel of the Land Rover, Fleur drives through Leith. Fog rises, until the street is barely visible. The fog forms into Castle Carbonek. The Land Rover drives across the drawbridge into a large cobblestone courtyard.

DUVAL STANDS.

295. DUVAL
Finally. Two.

296. FLEUR
Bugger off.

297. DUVAL
I still outrank you, milady. I won’t tolerateâ€"

PEREDUR STANDS.

298. PEREDUR
Couldn’t you both try to get along? Since you are, after all, the two people I love most in this world?

299. FLEUR
I brought the Stone.

Fleur, Duval & Peredur sit. Macbeth, Griff, Amp, LUNETTE, Coldstone & Hudson STAND.

300. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 15, 8:13PM. KNIGHT’S SPUR.

301. MACBETH
I know it doesn’t matter, but I’m glad the Stone’s back in Scotland.

302. GRIFF
You lot should stay a while. Get to know the clan…

303. AMP
Yeah, mates, stay!

304. LUNETTE
Please!

305. COLDSTONE
But Coldsteel is still out there…

306. HUDSON
Aye, lad, but it’s a mighty big world, and even the banished and the badduns eventually return to the clan.

Macbeth, Griff, Amp, Lunette, Coldstone & Hudson sit. Stone, Peredur & GRAIL STAND.

307. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 16, 1:06AM. CASTLE CARBONEK. A frowning Peredur listens to the glowing stone.

308. STONE
…Pointless, Peredur fab Ragnal, to have gone to such extremes merely to possess… a rock.

309. NARRATOR
On APRIL 11, 1951, 1:07AM at ARBROATH ABBEY, on NOVEMBER 15, 1:07PM in a warehouse in LEITH, on NOVEMBER 15, 1:07AM in the LANTERN OF THE ABBEY, and on NOVEMBER 16, 1:07AM inside CASTLE CARBONEK, Macbeth, Xanatos, Arthur and Peredur listen to the glowing Stone of Destiny.

310. STONE
Do you think the Spirit of Destiny can be contained in one vessel? I am the Fatal Stone. The Lia Fáil. The Stone of Bethel and Jerusalem, of Egypt, Samothrace and Portugal… The Stone at Tara and of Mora, at Iona and of Scone, in London and in Edinburgh… I am the Blarney Stone, the Coronation Stone, the Hero Stone… I am the Pillar Stone, the Stone of the Sword, the Stone of the Waters, Clach-na-Cinneamhain… The Tanist Stone, the Philosopher’s Stone, the Standing Stone, the Cornerstone… The Foundation Stone, the Megalith Dance, the Burden of Sisyphus… I am the Rock of Gibraltar, the Pillar of Hercules, Uluru, Clach Sgàin… Jacob’s Pillow, the Rosetta Stone, the Rune Stone, Sire of the Wyrd… I AM THE MANTLE OF FATE… I AM THE STONE OF DESTINY… I AM THE ROCK OF AGES! Do not dream of possessing me, mortal.

311. NARRATOR

NOVEMBER 16, 1:07AM. CASTLE CARBONEK. Behind Peredur, Fleur listens from the doorway.

312. STONE
Besides, Peredur, don’t you have more important matters of concern… now that your Master has awakened?

313. PEREDUR
What?! King Arthur cannot be awake?!

314. STONE
Awake and returned. I have twice conversed with him.

315. PEREDUR
But we did not expect him for another two hundred years! Everything we planned--

316. STONE
Plans change.

317. PEREDUR
I must contact the Upper Echelons immediately!

318. NARRATOR
Peredur exits. Fleur is no longer in the doorway. The Stone is left alone with the Holy Grail.

319. STONE
Hey.

320. GRAIL
Hey.

Peredur, Stone & Grail sit. Thailog & Shari STAND.

321. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 16, 5:44AM EST. NIGHTSTONE UNLIMITED.

322. THAILOG
Checkmate.

323. SHARI
Very good. Should I continue?

324. THAILOG
Please.

325. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that the Stone was repaired and recovered. Some say a replica was reinstalled at Westminster; others disagree. Either way, the Stone remained undisturbed until yesterday, when it was transported to Edinburgh without incident…

326. THAILOG
And that’s all you know of the Stone of Destiny?

327. SHARI
Well, one last story is told--

328. NARRATOR
As the sun sets, Owen Burnett and Macbeth wait for Goliath to wake…

329. SHARI
--Though who can say if it be true?

Thailog & Shari sit.

THE END

G2008 Radio Play

G2008 Radio Play (Chapter VII)

XANATOS, COLDSTEEL & COYOTE STAND.

13. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 2, 6:46AM EST. Scarab Corp. Coldsteel looks on, as David Xanatos installs a diamond inside Coyote 5.0.

14. COLDSTEEL
And what would that be?

15. XANATOS
It’s called the Coyote Diamond…

16. NARRATOR
Chapter Seven: The Rock.

17. XANATOS
The stone’s flawless surfaces and clarity increase the speed of--

18. COLDSTEEL
I’m sorry I asked.

19. XANATOS
My apologies. I’m sure you’re much more interested in your own situation.

20. COLDSTEEL
I was under the impression I had free will.

21. XANATOS
And you do. I promise summoning you was a one-time event. On the other hand, your unit does include a built-in tracking device… which I’m happy to deactivate…

22. COLDSTEEL
Permanently?

23. XANATOS
Permanently. All I ask in return is help on one small errand. Are we agreed?

24. COLDSTEEL
We are agreed.

25. COYOTE
Excellent.

XANATOS, COLDSTEEL & COYOTE sit. TALON, SATO, MAGGIE & ELISA STAND.

26. NARRATOR
3:52PM EST. The Labyrinth. Talon cradles Maggie the Cat, as Dr. Jay Sato examines her. Elisa Maza looks on.

27. TALON
How is she, Doc?

28. SATO
Well, her pulse is fine, and her injuries seem to be healing nicely…

29. MAGGIE
See, Derek, I said you were worried over nothing.

30. SATO
But I’m a surgeon. Treating someone in Maggie’s… “condition” is really not my area.

31. ELISA
Not anyone’s, Dr. Sato. Anyone we dare trust anyway.

32. SATO
It’s as if you’ve revealed a new world to me…

33. ELISA
Yep, you’re a medical pioneer.

34. SATO
Pioneer or not, she needs an O.B.

TALON, SATO, MAGGIE & ELISA sit. Macbeth, BROOKLYN, GOLIATH, BROADWAY, OWEN & Xanatos STAND.

35. NARRATOR
4:50PM EST. Eyrie Building. As the sun sets, Owen Burnett and Macbeth wait for Goliath to wake. NOVEMBER 2, 5:12PM EST. Inside the Great Hall, Macbeth addresses Goliath, Brooklyn, Hudson, Angela, Broadway, Bronx and Lexington.

36. MACBETH
It’s called the Stone of Destiny. For centuries the kings of Scotland were crowned upon it at Scone…

37. BROOKLYN
Magic talking stone. We’ve heard of it.

38. MACBETH
Yes, well, the English stole it. Now, after eight hundred years, it’s finally being returned. I’m asking for your help to ensure it gets to Scotland safely.

39. GOLIATH
Don’t you have… minions… for this?

40. MACBETH
We’ve parted ways. Please, Goliath. Many â€" including your landlord â€" would stop at nothing to get the Stone.

41. GOLIATH
I have been wounded twice in one week. I am healed â€" but not whole. But my second, Brooklyn, can lead Broadway, Lexington and Angela to join your quest.

42. BROADWAY
Yeah, we’re goin’ to Scotland!!

43. MACBETH
Well, England to start with--

44. BROOKLYN
I don’t know, Goliath, if you’re recovering, maybe this is the wrong time to send me overseas.

45. GOLIATH
Ah… Yes. You are needed here. Hudson may lead this expedition.

46. NARRATOR
Owen, watching the exchange by closed circuit, talks on the phone to Xanatos, who’s about to board a private plane.

47. OWEN
Yes, Macbeth, Hudson, Broadway, Angela and Lexington… Shall I attempt to stop them?

48. XANATOS
That won’t be necessary. I believe I’ve planned for this contingency.

49. NARRATOR
Back in the Great Hall, Angela whispers in Broadway’s ear.

50. BROADWAY
Uh… yeah… Manhattan’s dangerous right now. Me and Angela’ll stay too. To help Brooklyn.

51. BROOKLYN
That’s great. Thanks.

Macbeth, Brooklyn, Goliath, Broadway, Owen & Xanatos sit. SHARI STANDS.

52. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 3, 5:29AM EST. Nightstone Unlimited. Shari and Thailog are in Dominique Destine’s office.

53. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of two brothers who both loved the same female. And though all strife comes to an end one way or another, some conflicts refuse to stay dead. Xanatos and Demona used science and sorcery to create a monster from fragments of all three gargoyles, their bodies and souls. But in the end, the souls were segregated into Coldstone, Coldfire and Coldsteel. It’s really a timeless love story.

SHARI sits. Macbeth, CUSTOMS OFFICIAL, LEXINGTON & HUDSON STAND.

54. NARRATOR
3:00PM GMT. London. A private jet lands. Customs Officials greet Macbeth, as workers wheel two large crates from the plane’s hold.

55. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Lennox Macduff?

56. MACBETH
Yes.

57. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Welcome to England, sir. Anything to declare?

58. MACBETH
Works of art for my home in Berkeley Square.

59. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Have to have a look in, sir.

60. MACBETH
Of course.

61. NARRATOR
The crates are opened, revealing Lexington and Hudson, frozen in stone. 4:30PM GMT. Macbeth waits on the roof of his Berkeley Square Townhouse for Hudson and Lexington to wake. The sun sets. 5:07PM. It’s past sunset. Hudson and Lex are STILL frozen in stone. 6:15PM. Night. No change. 7:01PM. Macbeth grows concerned. 7:45PM. Hudson and Lex finally wake.

62. LEXINGTON, HUDSON
<awakening roars>

63. LEXINGTON
Whoa, I don’t feel so hot… and look how dark it is? How long have we been asleep?

64. MACBETH
Welcome, lad, to the wonderful world of jetlag. Don’t worry. You’ve got ten days to adjust before they move the Stone.

Macbeth, CUSTOMS OFFICIAL, LEXINGTON & HUDSON sit. Shari, INTERCOM & VINNIE STAND.

65. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 4, 5:30AM EST. Nightstone. Thailog soaks in a jacuzzi. Shari sits nearby.

66. SHARI
The story is told -- though who can say if it be true-- of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham… who fled the wrath of his brother Esau to a place he would call Bethel, where he laid his head upon a stone and had a wondrous vision!

67. NARRATOR
5:35AM EST. J.F.K.

68. INTERCOM
Flight 994, now boarding all rows…

69. VINNIE
Can you believe it? I’m goin’ to Japan!

Shari, Intercom & Vinnie sit. Goliath & Elisa STAND.

70. NARRATOR
9:48PM EST. Goliath’s Tower.

71. GOLIATH
About Halloween… I will not hold you to words spoken when you believed my life hung in the balance.

72. ELISA
Even if I want to be held?

73. GOLIATH
I know you care for me. That is not at issue. But what of the things I cannot give you… picnics… normalcy…?

74. ELISA
We can have a picnic anytime… and normalcy’s so over-rated.

75. NARRATOR
She runs her fingers through his hair. He takes her into his arms and kisses her.

Goliath & Elisa sit. Shari STANDS.

76. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 5, 5:31AM EST. Nightstone. Thailog and Shari look out over the city.

77. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that Gathelus, a son of the king of Athens, won many victories for the Pharaoh of Egypt, who rewarded the prince with the hand of his beloved: Pharaoh’s own daughter, Scota. But Gathelus had also befriended Moses, the Hebrew, who warned his young friends of the plagues to befall the Kingdom of the Nile. Gathelus and Scota determined to leave Egypt, and Moses entrusted them with Jacob’s Pillow, the Hebrews’ sacred stone…

78. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 6, 5:32AM EST. ST. DAMIEN’S CATHEDRAL. Thailog, Shari and Brentwood search for something.

79. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that Gathelus fled Egypt with his wife and the Stone of the Hebrews. He sought landfall on the rocky shores of Samothrace, for Scota was heavy with child and could go no farther. Still destiny blessed them with fine twin sons…

80. NARRATOR
6:00AM EST. Thailog flies Shari across the city. Brentwood follows.

81. SHARI
Gathelus and his family would wander the globe for two years before finding a home on the Iberian Peninsula in a place they named the Port of Gathelus, or Portugal. By this time the family had grown: the Athenian prince and Egyptian princess now had four healthy boys in their care not to mention one large Stone.

82. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 7, 5:33AM EST. Thailog and Shari begin a game of chess.

83. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that after the death of her beloved Gathelus, Scota departed Portugal with her eight sons… only to lose five of the boys at sea… while Scota herself and another son died warrior’s deaths upon landing in Ireland. But her eldest boy, Eremon, and her youngest, Eber Finn, survived, and Eremon was crowned king upon the Stone at Tara.

Shari sits. Xanatos & FOX stand.

84. NARRATOR
2:18PM GMT. Mayfair. Xanatos takes Alexander from Fox.

85. XANATOS
Darling, if you like the shoes, buy them…

86. FOX
The black manolos in the window… do you have them in a size nine? Lovely. Wrap them up, please.

87. NARRATOR
2:45PM GMT. Fox exits the store.

88. FOX
Mission accomplished.

89. NARRATOR
7:19PM GMT. Fox admires her new shoes in the full-length mirror of her hotel room. Xanatos admires the shoebox.

90. XANATOS
Darling? Do you still need this shoebox… or might I dispose of it?

Xanatos & Fox sit. Shari & THAILOG STAND.

91. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 8, 5:34AM EST. Nightstone. Thailog and Shari continue their chess game.

92. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Moses, who led the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the desert… bringing forth water from Jacob’s Pillow to quench their--

93. THAILOG
You said Moses gave the Stone to Gathelus and Scota before leading the Hebrews out of Egypt!

94. SHARI
The story is told…

95. THAILOG
<pause> Though who can say if it be true? Right. Continue.

96. SHARI
The Hebrews passed the Stone down the centuries, until the prophet Jeremiah offered it in dowry to King Eochaid of Ireland when he wed Tamar Tea Tephi, Princess of Judah. Eochaid ensconced the Stone at Tara and dubbed it Lia Fáil.

97. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 9, 5:36AM EST.

98. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Cu Chullain, the Hero of Ulster, who championed Lugaid Red-Stripe for king. But when the Lia Fáil would not cry to confirm Lugaid, Cu Chullain was enraged, striking with Gae Bolga, the Spear of Light, and splitting the Stone of Destiny forever!

99. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 10, 5:37AM EST. Shari captures Thailog’s white knight with her black bishop.

100. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of young Prince Fergus of Ireland, who carried half Cu Chullain’s handiwork to Argyll in what men now call Scotland to found a kingdom called Dalriada. Though a castle called Carbonek found him instead, bringing the Priest-King Pelles and the Archmage Merlin and their request to borrow the Stone of Destiny for a purpose of their own. A purpose fulfilled in Londontown by a sword clep’d Excalibur in a stone clep’d Lia Fáil drawn forth by a boy clep’d Arthur.

101. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 11, 5:38AM EST. Thailog tips over one of Shari’s black rooks with his white bishop.

102. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Saint Columba, he who tamed the monster of Loch Ness, before returning to the island of Iona, where Merlin and Pelles had brought the Stone once it had served their purposes. And where Columba laid down his head upon Jacob’s Pillow and breathed his last.

103. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 12, 5:39AM EST. Shari’s Black Queen is lined up to capture Thailog’s White King.

104. SHARI
Check.

105. THAILOG
<growl>

106. SHARI
Would you prefer I lost on purpose?

107. THAILOG
I’d fire you if you did. Don’t you have a story to tell?

108. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Kenneth MacAlpin, scion of Fergus, who united the Kingdoms of Scotland and was crowned High King upon the Stone at Scone. As would all the Heirs of Scota â€" for the next four hundred years.

COLDFIRE STANDS.

109. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 12, 10:00PM GMT. David Xanatos presses a button on a remote control. NOVEMBER 13, 6:01AM GMT+8. TIBET. Inside the old cave, Coldstone and Coldfire stand over Master Dawa and Sangpo. All react to a noise.

110. COLDFIRE
I believe… I believe I can find him…

Coldfire sits.

111. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 13, 5:40AM EST. NIGHTSTONE.

112. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Edward the First of England, the Hammer of the Scots, who sicced his mighty Warwolf on his neighbors to the north and took as prize the Stone of Scone, which he installed in the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey, where it has crowned the kings and queens of England down to this very day…

Shari & Thailog sit. Lexington, Macbeth, Hudson, Arthur, GRIFF, AMP & COCO STAND.

113. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 13, 5:32PM GMT. Hudson and Lex are atop Victoria Tower. Macbeth is below, in front of Westminster Abbey.

114. LEXINGTON
All clear. No sign of trouble.

115. MACBETH
Not expecting trouble tonight. They’re only moving the Stone from the Coronation Chair to the Lantern. It won’t leave the Abbey until tomorrow.

116. HUDSON
Aye, and the human security is tight as a drum. I’m nae convinced you could break in there with a battering ram.

117. MACBETH
You’d be surprised.

118. NARRATOR
11:46PM GMT.

119. LEXINGTON
<yawn> Still nothing to report. Who exactly are we expecting?

120. MACBETH
Anyone. Everyone. Just stay alert…

121. NARRATOR
Macbeth spots a shadowy figure and pursues it down into a London Underground Station…

122. MACBETH
I’m probably on a wild goose chase, lads. But in case I’m not, you’d better head this… way…

123. LEXINGTON
That could be a problem…

124. NARRATOR
Arthur Pendragon puts Excalibur to Macbeth’s throat. Meanwhile, on Victoria Tower, Hudson and Lex are surrounded by gargoyles.

125. ARTHUR
By the blade of Excalibur, what are you up to now, Macbeth?

126. MACBETH
King Arthur?! I’m here to protect the Stone of Destiny!

127. ARTHUR
Then our two quests are one and the same!

128. MACBETH
Aye…

129. ARTHUR, MACBETH (UNISON)
The gargoyles!!

130. MACBETH
They’ll be at each other’s throats!!

131. GRIFF
Hudson! Lexington! Bloody lovely to see you again!

132. LEXINGTON
You too, Griff!

133. HUDSON
Aye, lad. The badduns’ll have no chance at that Stone now!

134. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 14, 5:28AM. Macbeth radios Lex.

135. MACBETH
It’ll soon be dawn. You and Hudson go with Griff. Arthur and I will stand vigil through the day.

Arthur & Macbeth sit.

136. NARRATOR
5:33AM GMT. Griff, Hudson, Lex and the other two gargoyles glide over London.

137. LEXINGTON
Are we headed to Soho? Goliath said you have a store there…

138. GRIFF
We do. But I thought I’d take you home instead. To our clan--

139. AMP
To Knight’s Spur!

140. COCO
You know, Griff, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced to your Yank friends…

141. HUDSON
<Hmph> Watch who you’re callin’ a Yank, lass…

142. GRIFF
Where are my manners? Hudson, Lexington, this is Constance.

143. COCO
My friends call me Coco.

144. GRIFF
And this is Staghart.

145. AMP
My friends call me Amp!

146. COCO
Nobody calls you Amp, luv.

147. LEXINGTON
I’ll call you Amp.

148. NARRATOR
5:40AM.

149. GRIFF
Welcome to Knight’s Spur…

150. NARRATOR
7:20AM. Atop Knight’s Spur, Old Pog, Hudson, Griff, Lex, Amp, Coco and Lunette sleep as stone.

Hudson, Lexington, Griff, Amp & Coco sit. Arthur & Macbeth STAND.

151. NARRATOR
7:48AM. Macbeth and Arthur sip coffee outside a Nightstone’s café.

152. ARTHUR
…Mortally wounded in 542. So they shipped me off to some magic hill and put me to sleep for a thousand four hundred fifty-three years.

153. MACBETH
Sounds lovely.

154. ARTHUR
And you?

155. MACBETH
Deal with a demon in 1040. Officially died in 1057. Been sleepwalking for nine hundred thirty-nine years.

156. ARTHUR
<pause> Guess I got the better bargain.

157. MACBETH
Ach, I try not to dwell these days. So here’s to the immortals. There aren’t many like us…

Arthur & Macbeth sit. Shari STANDS.

158. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 14, 5:42AM EST. NIGHTSTONE. Shari places her black knight in front of Thailog’s white knight.

159. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Robert the Bruce of Scotland, who defeated the English at Bannockburn with the help of an Irish ally, Cormac MacCarthy. With the victory, came a prize: a fragment of the Fatal Stone that England had taken from Scone. This fragment, the Bruce gave to MacCarthy, whose descendents had it installed at Blarney Castle, where it is said to grant the gift of gab. I’ve kissed it myself a time or two…

Shari sits. Hudson, Macbeth & Arthur STAND.

160. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 14, 6:32PM GMT. Knight’s Spur. Hudson, Macbeth and Arthur confer in a book-lined study.

161. HUDSON
Lex, Griff, Constance and Staghart sent you home to rest then…

162. MACBETH
Aye, Hudson. We’ll catch a few hours sleep then head back out. But you…?

163. HUDSON
I had some questions for the Pendragon. Weren’t you on a quest to find your wizard?

164. ARTHUR
Indeed. And Sir Griff and I searched for Merlin in all the obvious places. But to no gain. So I’ve been “doing research” on Merlin… and on myself.

165. NARRATOR
Hudson examines a copy of Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Malory.

166. HUDSON
So many books… are any of them true?

167. ARTHUR
All things are true… few things are accurate.

168. MACBETH
Aye. No bloody kidding.

169. NARRATOR
Hudson contemplates this.

Hudson, Macbeth & Arthur sit.

Tomorrow, Chapter VIII...

STONE OF DESTINY -- SPOILERS!!!!

STONE OF DESTINY -- CLAN-BUILDING, VOLUME TWO SPOILERS!!!!

GXB sent me a question about the Stone of Destiny in Clan-Building. He wrote:

"Just to be clear... Xanatos has the original Stone of Destiny? Scotland has a fake? That's... kinda cool. :)"

Now, of course, I shouldn't have responded. The book SHOULD either stand and fall on it's own. But of course, if that was my policy, we wouldn't really have ASK GREG at all, would we?

I apologize that I wrote with so little clarity that an explanation is necessary at all, but here's my answer to him, and before the rest of you get a chance, to all of you:

You're missing the point.

Which was the original, the one Moses sent with Gathelus or the one Moses kept and used to bring forth water in the desert?

Which was the original, the half that stayed at Tara or the half that sailed to Dalriada? (Note that both halves are the same size as the so-called "original".)

Which was the original, the one that was kept in London or the one that became the Blarney Stone?

There is no original. There is no fake.

But if you're asking where the specific stone that had been at Westminster went, Peredur has it in Carbonek. Look at the timeline. Xanatos switched the stone at the bridge and was about to make a DOUBLE switch at Leith before Blanchfleur came to pick it up. He was planning to keep the one he assumed was the original, when the stone itself told him it was pointless. So he gave Blanchefleur the stone the Illuminati wanted, i.e. the Westminster stone.

Xanatos kept one of the two "fakes" and Edinburgh has the other "fake", except both are still real stones. (It's not like they're paper mache or something.) And ANY stone can be THE stone.

FEBRUARY 21

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

February 21st...

1996
David Xanatos receives satellite photographs, which reveal a soil carving dedicated to the Trickster Coyote. He makes plans to lease the land that contains the carving from the local Native American tribe. He also commissions a new Coyote Robot, made with iron melted down from the Cauldron of Life.

FEBRUARY 3

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

February 3rd...

1995
It is still snowing as an armed assailant robs Mr. Jaffe's local grocery store, a childhood haunt of Matt Bluestone's. Goliath accompanies Elisa Maza on her shift, gliding above her car. David Xanatos and Demona revivify Coldstone from pieces of Othello, Desdemona and Iago. Coldstone makes a splashy public entrance in Time Square, where he's confronted by Goliath and the Trio. When Demona, Xanatos and a Steel Clan robot join Coldstone, the battle moves to the George Washington Bridge, where Elisa, Hudson and Bronx soon join the fray. Coldstone sacrifices himself to save Goliath and winds up dormant at the bottom of the river. Goliath and the other gargoyles rededicate themselves to protecting all of Manhattan.

JANUARY 28

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 28th...

1995
Lexington begins to repair Jackal's helicopter. Elisa Maza confronts Fox in prison. Fox reveals that David Xanatos created the Pack, and is using Jackal and Hyena to cement Derek Maza's loyalty. Elisa records Fox's conversation. Derek flies Xanatos to his upstate retreat, 'Xanadu'. Again, Jackal and Hyena attack. And again, the Manhattan Clan intervenes, using the repaired helicopter to defeat and capture the twins.

1996
In the morning, Rory Dugan returns home and argues with his father, Mr. Dugan. That evening at sunset, Elisa Maza, Goliath and Angela wake up to find themselves trapped inside Cairn na Chullain by the Banshee, who is convinced they have been sent by Oberon to bring her back to Avalon for the Gathering. Rory, looking for Molly, encounters Bronx instead. When the Banshee realizes that Rory and "the Great Beast" are together, she appears to Rory and lures him away from Bronx.

JANUARY 27

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 27th...

1995
Derek Maza starts working for David Xanatos. Jackal and Hyena attack them, but the Trio intervenes. Lexington manages to land Jackal's helicopter and hide it.

1996
In Ireland, Rory Dugan and his girlfriend Molly steal a jacket from a local shop and manage to elude the police - just as the four travelers arrive from Avalon. The Banshee quickly captures Elisa Maza, Angela and Goliath.

JANUARY 25

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 25th...

1995
Elisa Maza and Derek Maza trail David Xanatos to the Diamond Exchange, where Xanatos buys the Coyote Diamond. Hyena and Jackal, on orders from Fox, attempt to steal the Diamond. They are thwarted by Derek, Elisa and Xanatos. Xanatos seems impressed with Derek and offers him a job as his pilot and bodyguard.

1996
The travelers arrive in Egypt and follow Coyote into a temple hidden inside the Sphinx.

JANUARY 17

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 17th...

1975
Edger Blosa dies in Prague.

1996
Angela is imprisoned alongside Nessie, a Loch Ness Monster. That day Elisa Maza spots members of David Xanatos' Security Team resupplying in town. She follows them to Anton Sevarius' secret submarine dock. After nightfall, she returns with Goliath and Bronx, but all three are captured. Sevarius, who has informed Angela that she is Goliath's daughter, takes her along as he attempts to use Nessie to capture her mate Big Daddy in the Loch. Goliath and the others escape, and use a mini-submarine to foil Sevarius' plans. The monster-sub sinks along with every member of the Security Team, except their leader Bruno. The Loch Ness Monsters are reunited and set free.

JANUARY 13

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 13th...

1995
Goliath confronts David Xanatos, who intends to test himself against the gargoyle leader. Wearing his armor, Xanatos and his Steel Clan robots attack Goliath and the Trio. The battle culminates at the Statue of Liberty, where the robots are destroyed, and Xanatos is forced to retreat -- but not until after he's successfully tested his armor and himself.

JANUARY 12

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 12th...

1995
Owen Burnett defeats David Xanatos in a judo match, causing Xanatos to fear he is losing his edge. Xanatos first meets with the Emir is that afternoon. That evening on Elisa Maza's first night back on the job, she is assigned a new partner: Matt Bluestone. She brings a television set up to the gargoyles, who are now ensconced in their new home in the Clock Tower above the 23rd Precinct House. Meanwhile, Xanatos donates the Eye of Odin to the Museum of Modern Art and is interviewed on television by Travis Marshall. Later that night, Xanatos - dressed in Gargoyle Battle Armor - steals the Eye back for his private collection. Simultaneously, two Steel Clan Robots are seen at other locations in the city, leading people to believe that gargoyles are on the loose.

JANUARY 5

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 5th...

1996
Convinced that David Xanatos is responsible for Elisa Maza's disappearance, Talon leads the Trio in an attack on the Eyrie Building. Xanatos and Owen Burnett test out their new (Thailog motivated) security system and Owen's new stone fist. Ultimately, however, they allow the foursome to fruitlessly search the place once Xanatos discovers that Goliath and the others are missing. Meanwhile, Fang has staged a coup down in the Labyrinth. He takes Talon prisoner upon his return. Maggie the Cat, however, escapes with Claw's aid and seeks help at the Clock Tower. After sundown, Brooklyn leads the gargoyles and Maggie against Fang and his minions. Talon is freed and Fang is captured.

1997
Dingo, Matrix, Hunter, Yama and Fang are approaching an island when their battle-copter Redemption is blown out of the sky.

JANUARY 4

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

January 4th...

1066
Edward the Confessor dies of natural causes. His brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, succeeds him.

1995
Goliath, Lexington, Bronx and Brooklyn return to Castle Wyvern atop the Eyrie Building but are intercepted by Elisa Maza, Hudson and Broadway, who finally manage to convince Goliath to follow Elisa to their new home at the Clock Tower above the 23rd Precinct -- but not before Goliath warns Owen Burnett that the clan will some day return. David Xanatos is finally released from jail that morning and returns to the castle. He starts serving his probation. Later that day, Xanatos goes to Gen-U-Tech Systems to observe Anton Sevarius' progress. Sevarius has successfully cloned Goliath and begins to accelerate the growth of "Thailog".

1996
Hudson and the Trio have been searching for Goliath and Bronx to no avail. Broadway, realizing that Elisa Maza is missing too, brings her cat Cagney back to the Clock Tower. Brooklyn resists taking the reins of leadership, but he does go to visit Talon and Maggie the Cat in the Labyrinth, where homeless humans like Al, Chaz and Lou have joined the Mutates in what is supposed to be a free society of outcasts. Broadway visits Matt Bluestone next, but Matt is equally in the dark over his partner's disappearance. Lex eavesdrops on Elisa's parents and learns they are also worried. Meanwhile on Queen Florence Island, Elisa and the gargoyles find each other again, and then find Grandmother as she transforms into the Thunderbird. Grandmother later admits that she was undergoing these transformations to convince Natsilane to take up arms against Raven to save the island. When Natsilane meets the gargoyles, he is convinced. The gargoyles and Natsilane battle Raven and drive him away. With Raven gone, Grandmother is able to heal the island. The travelers again return to Avalon, where it is six in the morning, causing Goliath, Angela and Bronx to turn to stone.