Season One, Story Four

Cast and Credits		Ep.1	Ep.2	Ep.3	Ep.4
Tun-Ju	Willoughby Goddard
Mrs. Kite	Dorothy Reynolds
Bartlett Bonnington	John Barron
Digger Farmer	Reg Lye
Japanese Bodyguard	Tom Gan
Lady Landau	Diana King
Sir Patrick Landau	Patrick McAlinney
Mr. Sweet	Donald-Layne Smith
Writer	Trevor Preston
Designer	Frank Gillman
Director	Michael Currer-Briggs

Full Story Synopsis

Tarot's warehouse HQ is in darkness and seemingly deserted with Ossie alone on his perch. On the security monitor, Tarot appears outside the flat, calling for Sam and Lulli. When there is no reply he takes a pen from his pocket and twists its cap, the device emitting a high frequency signal. Inside the dark area, somebody is lurking in the shadows. Tarot switches off the screen outside and cautiously enters the flat. Suddenly the lights flare on, and as Tarot stands defensively, Sam is revealed with a huge parcel. It is Tarot's birthday, and Lulli moves in from the kitchen with a strange-shaped cake, bearing a single candle. It seems Mr Sweet told them about the anniversary, and Sam expresses his mistrust of the cake Lulli has made. His gift to Tarot is the top of a suit of armour, covered in bolts and padlocks with wristcuffs. "The Sam Maxted comfy corset…" he jokes, and Tarot recalls how much Sam admires Houdini. Lulli prevents Tarot from trying it on until he has opened her gift. This is a framed modern print, a rather unusual one by Ralph Witcombe, with which the magician is delighted. Sam is unimpressed, commenting he's not even sure which way up it should be. He feels the piece - "The Virtuous Tomato" - is a con made by the seventeen-year-old artist. Sam would rather have "a good old-fashioned naughty", and Lulli chides him about his old-fashioned tastes. Sam hands him Mr Sweet's present, the most difficult Turkish puzzle ring, five rings which can become one. Tarot blows out the candle on Lulli's cake, then puts his hand around it. The candle has vanished, and in his hand is a small bulb which lights up.

In an art gallery on Bond Street, gilt-framed Old Masters are on display. In the centre glass case, guarded by a policeman, is the foot-high fifteenth-century bronze statuette, Venus. An expensively-dressed woman of about sixty with a hatched face examines the pictures with he gold lorgnette. As she wanders too close to the Venus, alarms blare out. The visitors are quickly calmed by Bartlett Bonnington, the balding gallery director. He explains to the woman that he lorgnette broke a security light beam around the case. The woman announces herself as Lady Constance Denys and is disgusted at Bonnington's lack of trust in his clientele. She first asks is the Venus is for sale, but when learning it is on loan from the Fulboroughs of Boston, dismisses it as bric-a-brac and exits to Bonnington's amazement.

Tarot, now dressed in rehearsal clothes, is secured into the steel corset by Sam. Lulli enters with a tray of Russian tea, and Tarot asks her to curtain him. The girl stands before him, and whilst Sam is planning the lighting and the music, Tarot releases himself. Sam is disappointed, not even half a minute. "I give up… you're not human." Tarot replies, "That I am Sam, I promise you."

The woman from the gallery walks along the road to a Chinese restaurant. The door is opened by a Chinese man, who recognises her and lets her in. He stands back as she sweeps through the empty diner, its places set, and through the curtains at the rear. In the bare corner of the back room she faces the joining of the walls and twists the stone in the centre of her brooch. The walls swing away to reveal a dark corridor, which the woman enters before the walls swing back.

The woman arrives in a huge room, which is oriental, austere and delicate. Seated on a Chinese throne in the centre of the room is a huge Oriental in purple silk. He holds a tall ebony rod with a flying dragon carved on top. The woman is greeted under the name 'Mrs Kite' and she - dropping her posh accent - kow tows before Tun-Ju. The little Chinaman fetches her a chair, and some jasmine tea and Mrs Kite reports that her mission found the gallery's security was as Tun-Ju expected. "The unknowing chicken sits ready for plucking…" comments Tun-Ju, and gives Mrs Kite a new lorgnette, this one connected to a power pack. Tun-Ju decides that they will strike at noon the next day.

Lulli is sitting cross-legged, totally absorbed in the book on Mayan Control Calendars in Mr Sweet's shop when Bonnington enters, looking for the owner whom Lulli says will not return until tomorrow. Bonnington leaves his card, explaining that he has a piece at the gallery tomorrow which he knows Mr Sweet will want to see. As he leaves, he remarks to Lulli that Mr Sweet is one of Europe's most eminent authorities on the whole Mayan culture. Lulli is not surprised at all.

At the flat, Tarot and Sam pore over a blueprint of some equipment for the act. Their performance is on the 11^th, and in Rome, giving Sam eight days to get it ready. Lulli appears on the screen outside and Sam lets her come up. Tarot tells her Mr Sweet called and will not be back yet, so Lulli suggests that they go to the gallery, Since Tarot has an appointment in an hour, he suggests that Sam takes a break, as he hasn't been out in two days. Sam agrees, on the condition that he drives.

Lulli and Sam arrive at the gallery where Bonnington recognises Lulli. Sam immediately goes to study a Renoir nude as Lulli tells Bonnington of Mr Sweet's delay. The two visitors admire the Venus, worth fifty thousand, and Sam's behaviour makes the policeman watch him closely. Bonnington is aghast to see 'Lady Denys' return, the woman apparently wants to study the Renoir. Sam notices the old woman and jokes to Lulli about her. Unobserved, Mrs Kite activates the power pack and Bonnington, talking to her, suddenly freezes in mid-sentence as a strange musical sound is heard. The influence extends across the gallery, taking in Sam and Lulli as Sam complains about modern art again. Mrs Kite checks that all, including the policeman, are frozen and then opens the doors for Tun-Ju - now clad in less conspicuous clothes. The closed sign is put on the door and the blinds drawn.

Tarot is about to leave for his appointment when he hears oriental music very faintly. The music fades, then returns. Lulli's face dances before his eyes, but not as in usual contact between them. He speaks to her.

Tun-Ju looks lovingly at the Carzette Venus, and Mrs Kite deactivates the photoelectric screen in the place she saw Bonnington go earlier. Tun-Ju takes the Venus greedily.

Tarot is sitting in his flat, desperately trying to contact Lulli. Her face comes and goes. He has never experienced this before.

In the gallery, Lulli suddenly blinks and an image of Tarot appears faintly before her eyes. Tun-Ju is busy switching the original Venus for what an identical forgery. Suddenly Lulli says "Tarot," attracting the attention of the two crooks. Mrs Kite realises that the girl is barely conscious and directs the influence of the lorgnettes in her face.

In the warehouse, Tarot's concentration is broken and he starts going through the galleries listed in the newspaper.

Tun-Ju reactivates the alarms, takes down the sign and opens the blinds. Mrs Kite takes up her original position admiring the Renoir, although Tun-Ju points out that since he already has Renoir's three finest, others would clutter his collection. After Tun-Ju has left, Mrs Kite uses the lorgnettes to disperse the influence and everything continues as before with Bonnington carrying on with his speech. Lulli suddenly feels faint, which Sam passes off as "too much rosé with your fish and chips last night." 'Lady Denys' again makes an offer for the Venus, and attracts Sam's attention as he jokes at her expense. The old woman's parting remark is that the Renoir is a fake, to Sam and Lulli's amusement.

Later at the flat, Lulli assures Tarot that she never tried to contact him, and Sam backs her up. The girl does admit she felt odd when Bonnington was talking to 'Lady Denys', and again Sam tries to pass it off as the summer heat. However, Tarot describes the old woman at the gallery and explains to the astonished pair that he saw her through Lulli's eyes. He wants to visit the gallery at once.

Bonnington clears the gallery for the night after Tarot, Lulli and Sam arrive. He tells them of Lady Denys' two visits, one yesterday, one today, and of her interest in the Venus. Bonnington turns off the security beams allowing Tarot to examine it. The magician realises it is a fake as the original is missing the nail on the third finger of the left hand. Tarot suspects that 'Lady Denys' is not all she claims. "Then who is she Tarot?" asks Lulli. "I don't know…" he replies, "yet."

Tun-Ju is back at his headquarters and examines the Venus with great care as he and Mrs Kite drink champagne from crystal glasses, the bottle cooled in a silver bucket. Mrs Kite compliments the oriental on his lorgnette device. "Scientific perfection to steal artistic perfection… a wry paradox…" comments Tun-Ju. The two drink a toast to beauty, and then Tun-Ju announces he will show the woman his shrine. Taking the Venus, he rises from his throne and sweeps his dragon wands across a mural. A panel slides open and the two enter.

Back at Tarot's flat, the magician is seated opposite his assistant and talks Lulli through the events at the art gallery. She gets to the point where Bonnington went over to 'Lady Denys'. "They talk about the Renoir painting… she seems interested… interested… interested…" Tarot realises that this is when something happened, and he presses his hands on her temples to allow her to relax and her memory fades. As Lulli recovers, Tarot tells her she had a complete memory blank - caused by means more sophisticated than drugs or hypnosis. She, Sam, Bonnington and everyone there had five to ten minutes stolen from their lives, during which time the Venus was switched. Sam thinks the old woman was some sort of witch. When Tarot ventures the medium used was electronic, Sam nicknames her "Super-Witch" and recalls that the device Tarot suspects she used could be her golden bi-focals. Tarot doubts 'Lady Denys' could have created these herself, and thinks she is a pilot fish for a far bigger shark.

In the Beauty Shrine, Tun-Ju keeps all his art treasures: Botticelli's "Birth Of Venus", Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", Modigliana's "Portrait Of A Young Boy", Rembrandt's "The Old Woman" plus sculptures and mounted objects like Degas' "Ballet Dancer", an Elgin marble horse head, a Henry Moore and others. Tun-Ju fusses with the Venus until he gets it exactly right on its pedestal. "She and I, since her birth in the Renaissance were fated to meet." Each time he visits the room, he tells Mrs Kite, he feels reborn. He knows he is getting old, but does not care as he has led an interesting life.

With Mr Sweet away until four o'clock, Tarot sends Lulli to his shop to go through his 'rogues gallery' for the fake Lady Denys. Lulli knows Mr Sweet's filing system from the Sander business (referring to "The Mind Robbers"). Sam suddenly realises that to get to the gallery, 'Lady Denys' would have had a chauffeur-driver car or taken a taxi. As some of his best mates are cabbies, he will ask around. "If we counted up all your 'best mates'," says Lulli, "it would be half of London." "The other half aren't worth knowing," says Sam. Tarot says he will return to the gallery and if Lulli meets Mr Sweet, they will meet back at the HQ at six o'clock.

Back in the throne room, Tun-Ju tells Mrs Kite that the Venus was a dress rehearsal for his life's dream. He shows her a picture on an easel and Mrs Kite looks in disbelief saying it will be impossible. Tun-Ju says it will be his last venture and he will have fulfilled his rôle in life. Nobody will stop him.

Bonnington's gallery is deserted as Tarot tries to calm the owner. Bonnington knows Ulwin Fulborough isn't a terribly 'understanding' multi-millionaire and he must call the police. Tarot reminds Bonnington that he was a possible candidate as the next director of the National Gallery, a possibility that would vanish if the theft of the Venus was announced. If Bonnington does not inform the police and gives Tarot full co-operation, he and his friends will return it within four days.

Lulli is in the room at the rear of Mr Sweet's bookshop where he keeps his collection if insects, and is going through the photofiles when the phone rings at the counter. It is 'Sweetie' who tells her that he's been delayed, but will be back next day. In return, Lulli tells him about Bonnington's problem.

At a London Taxi Rank, a wrinkle-faced and wiry man is sitting in a cab reading a newspaper and eating sandwiches. Sam approaches the man, Digger Farmer, and ribs him about his choice of newspaper and his awful sardine and peanut butter sandwiches. Sam is too busy to share a "half of pig's ear", and asks if Digger or any of his lads picked up a fare outside Fournet's at 3.30pm on Tuesday. "Weird old hen all of sixty… old-fashioned smutter… big hat… face like a ferret… uses a lorgnette." "Sounds painful," retorts the Australian cabbie. At once, 'Uncle Digger' gets onto his princess on the cab radio: "Plug me into Stumpy, Art, Spike, Left Wing, the lot. Let 'em all have an earfull."

Lulli has failed to find the face she wants in the files as a dignified woman of about fifty enters the shop. She tells Lulli that she has come to see Mr Sweet on a personal matter. The woman is nervous, and when Lulli says that Mr Sweet will not be back in till tomorrow, the visitor leaves no message and departs. Lulli tries to place the woman's face.

Digger pulls his cab up outside the Chinese Restaurant, where Frank dropped the old woman, and lets Sam out. "How much?" asks Sam. "On the house… when you find her, give her a big kiss from me," laughs Digger. Sam looks around the street. It is deserted. He takes out some skeleton keys and soon picks the lock to enter the building.

Back at his pad, Tarot is looking at complicated electronic circuitry on his close-circuit monitor. He is going through sets of diagrams, none of which seem to be what he is looking for.

Sam moves silently around the empty restaurant unaware that Tun-Ju, in his black silken robes, is watching him from the shadows. The motionless oriental suddenly springs to life, announcing the restaurant is closed. Sam says he is a gas man, come to read the meters, but then Mrs Kite blunders in from the back room. "Super-Witch!" exclaims Sam. Tun-Ju raises his staff and touches Sam with the end of it. Sam is blasted backwards by some force and lies unconscious on the floor.

Night has fallen, and Tarot and Lulli are killing time at the flat whilst waiting for Sam. Lulli is on edge, but Tarot practises some card tricks, explaining that he and Sam have an understanding to give each other three hours, and Sam has ten minutes left. Tarot also says that Mr Sweet is flying back early morning in an RAF helicopter, courtesy of an Air Marshal he went to school with.

In Tun-Ju's lair, Sam recovers to find himself in an oriental chair which holds him imprisoned by invisible forces. As he struggles, Tun-Ju enters with a huge Japanese bodyguard who wears thick pebble glasses. Sam hurls insults at Tun-Ju, but the villain takes no notice at all, to Sam's astonishment. When Sam refuses to answer questions, Tun-Ju despatches the heavy, who returns with a device that looks like a saloon hairdryer. Sam learns that 'Super-Witch' is called Mrs Kite, and admits that he used her carelessness with taxis to trace her. He claims that he realised she was not the real Lady Denys at the art gallery, but a con-artist like himself, and wanted to see if they could pull some bigger jobs together. Tun-Ju listens patiently in his throne, and then tells Sam that he knows he is lying. The heavy places the headset over Sam, and Tun-Ju says that Sam's memory will tell him everything. Tun-Ju places a visor over his own face and as the machine is activated, Sam falls motionless.

Digger's cab pulls up outside the restaurant at night with Tarot and Lulli in the back, the cabbie explaining that he dropped Sam here. The cabbie offers to get a few of the fellers, who all like Sam, over if there's any bother, but Tarot declines. Digger will wait outside whilst he and Lulli enter.

Tun-Ju scans through Sam's memory, seeing the conversation at Tarot's flat as Tarot realises that something froze the people at the gallery. Having learnt that Tarot has guessed too much, Tun-Ju turns off the machine and Sam starts to recover. By tricking Sam into confirming that he knows Tarot, Tun-Ju knows what he has learnt is true.

Tarot and Lulli move through the dark restaurant. In Tun-Ju's room, a red warning light comes on and a monitor shows Tarot and Lulli inside. "The chickens visit the fox," Tun-Ju remarks.  The duo have gone over to the corner door where Tarot thinks he can hear something, but Lulli can't.  The bodyguard prepares to leave the secret room but Tun-Ju is dismissive of Tarot and Lulli's efforts.  "Leave them... they will find exactly... nothing," he says precisely.

Tun-Ju's remarks prove accurate as Lulli and Tarot decide to go back home to think over the problem. Tun-Ju and Sam watch as they give up and return to the taxi. Sam calls out loudly but the oriental remarks that the whole headquarters are soundproofed.  Sam is dispirited as he sees his friends go. Tun-Ju waves his wand over the chair to release Sam and says he will let him see the Venus as he took so much trouble to find him.

Tarot and Lulli arrive back at the flat and Digger is amazed at the pad, not expecting this in a warehouse. Lulli finds no messages on the answering machine.

In the Shrine of Beauty, Sam is amazed at Tun-Ju's collection of "the real gubbins". The huge oriental then says he is goingto return Sam to his friends as he is weary of his company. Sam is astounded. "You mean… let me go?" "But of course," replies Tun-Ju.

Lulli, Tarot and Digger are seated on the pile of cushions looking despondent. Digger is about to phone his missus when the intercom buzzes and Sam appears on the monitor, impatient to be admitted. Tarot wonders why Sam hasn't phoned, and Digger suggests he ran out of tanners. Sam enters, amazed to see Digger after such a long time, wondering how the cabbie found Tarot's apartment. When Digger starts talking about yesterday and the old hen and the restaurant, Sam accuses him of being on the sweet sherry. Sam says he has just been to visit Jacko in the hospital, a friend with a busted leg. Digger says Jacko left hospital last week, which Lulli confirms. Sam is baffled. Tarot supplies the answer. "You've had the last ten days of your memory completely obliterated!"

Tun-Ju, clad in a traditional Chinese robe, is sitting motionless in an artist's studio whilst the short, balding Irish painter, Sir Patrick Landau, puts the finishing touches on a portrait of the oriental, or 'Mr Shih' as Landau addresses him. Landau takes a break, but Tun-Ju points out that in his youth he once sat motionless for seventy-six hours, and could have gone on longer, but became bored. Landau is tired, possibly from eye strain, and Tun-Ju is concerned saying that the sitting is over. Landau refuses, with the picture almost done, so Tun-Ju twists the top of his wand. Strange Chinese music fills the studio and Tun-Ju tells Landau that he has more important work to do.

Next morning, Tarot and Lulli are tired after a night of trying to help Sam remember. Ossie squawks, and Sam retorts: "It's alright for you, you bloated budgie, you've been kipping on and off since yesterday morning." Tarot realises that a fragment of Sam's memory has percolated through, triggered by Ossie's squawk. They get the owl to screech again, and Sam recalls an eagle… then being stuck in a chair… then famous pictures. Tarot realises the recall is brought on my the frequency of Ossie's whistle, and Lulli gets the tape recorder to capture it. They may be able to unlock Sam's memory.

Mr Sweet arrives back at his shop with umbrella and holdall, spinning his hat neatly onto a pile of books in the bug room. He is about to make a phone call when the lady visitor of the previous day enters. He recognises her as Lady Landau, and English woman with none of her husbands Irish signs. She was been waiting for his return from the Scottish Isles in the car outside overnight, having cabled James McBride. There is something wrong with Patrick. Mr Sweet tries to calm the woman.

Landau is now working hard in a cell-cum-studio at Tun-Ju's headquarters. The room is bare except for his work corner which is surrounded by photographic blow-up details of eyes, mouths, hands, noses and landscape backgrounds. He is putting the final touches on a copy of "La Gioconda" - the Mona Lisa. Landau does not even notice Tun-Ju and Mrs Kite enter and watch. Mrs Kite is amazed when she recognises Landau, and Tun-Ju explains he is using Lulli's pride to do his work. He has used one of his jade devices to make Landau believe he is competing with Leonardo da Vinci to decide who is the greater master of technique. He proves this by deliberately riling Landau about the woman's smile. Landau is obsessed in his reply: "If I had lived in the fifteenth century it would have been my name on the lips of posterity… the greatest of Universal Men produced by the Renaissance." Tun-Ju explains to Mrs Kite that after each session he erases Landau's memory of the visit.

Lulli operates the tape recorder, now will of Ossie's squawks, to stimulate Sam. He recalls the metal chair… a foreign voice… a big man… not continental… nor coloured… nor Asian…but Sam is distracted and tired as Mr Sweet arrives outside on the monitor with Lady Landau, whom Lulli recognises.

Digger is hanging around outside the restaurant in his cab, reading the paper. He sees Mrs Kite emerge, and trails her. When Mrs Kite hails another taxi, Digger cuts his fellow up and gets her fare - determined not to have wasted five hours sniffing her out. Mrs Kite wants to be taken to the National Gallery.

Lady Landau explains to Tarot that her husband has recently become very vague, not in his nature at all. He seems pre-occupied, and insists that he has never left his studio when she is certain he has been out of the house. This behaviour has gone on for a month. Tarot sees a connection with what has happened to Sam.

Digger keeps an eye on Mrs Kite in his mirror as she sits in the sealed rear of the taxi. He calls his princess again to get piped through to an ex-directory number on "a matter of life and death."

Sam is developing a headache after his twelve-hour disappearance, and Lady Landau comments he husband is similarly afflicted, Lulli too since the gallery visit. Digger calls up on the phone. He has the old hen in a cage and will be at Tarot's in ten minutes. He hangs up the radio mike as Mrs Kite taps on the partition, worried that they are going the wrong way. Digger explains that this is a detour as there are roadworks at Victoria.

Tarot tells Mr Sweet that "something delicate has cropped up," and the bookseller whisks Lady Landau away home, with Tarot telling her to keep their meeting secret and not to recognise him the next time they meet. After they have gone, Tarot tells Lulli and Sam about Digger's message. He has got "Super-Witch", but a squawk from Ossie trigger's Sam's memory of Mrs Kite's name. They leave the HQ.

Outside the warehouse, Digger swings the cab into the cobbled courtyard as Sam, Tarot and Lulli rush down the staircase. Mrs Kite forces open the window in the taxi and starts to throttle Digger with her umbrella. On seeing Sam and Lulli, Mrs Kite releases the cabbie and makes a run for it, pursued by Lulli who catches the old woman. Tarot tends to Digger as Sam helps Lulli. Sam and Lulli find it hard to overpower Mrs Kite who wriggles like a wet eel. They carry her towards the HQ entrance when the woman convulses and clutches her chest, gasping "My heart!" She collapses still in paint, and Tarot and his friends exchange worried glances.

Mrs Kite sits in a chair, looking daggers at her captors, while Lulli and Sam congratulate her on her 'performance'. Whilst Tarot unsuccessfully questions the tight-lipped woman, Lulli goes through her handbag. Mrs Kite exclaims with surprise when Tarot says that Sam has told them about the restaurant. When Lulli finds the lorgnettes, Mrs Kite panics and says it is her hearing aid.

Bonnington arrives at Mr Sweet's shop to find the owner stacking books. Bonnington is getting frantic, and tells Mr Sweet that he must divulge a vital secret after the theft of Venus…

Bonnington and Mr Sweet tell Tarot about the Mona Lisa at his HQ and how it is being restored by Mr Dilke at the National Gallery, Dilke being the world's best restorer. Only half a dozen officials knew of its visit. Bonnington realises that is Mrs Kite and her employer could steal the Venus, then the Mona Lisa's security may also be inadequate.

Sir Patrick is tired and has a headache as he has a drink on the couch in his studio. Lady Landau knocks and enters with the framers: Sam and Tarot. The artist irritably shows them the portrait of Tun-Ju which Sam recognises. Landau remakes that is Mr Shih, a rich silk importer. Tarot's questioning about delivery of the framed picture reveals that Landau does not know where 'Mr Shih' lives, and he and Sam start measuring the picture.

Mrs Kite is locked into Sam's steel corset as Lulli hangs up "Virtuous Tomato" in Tarot's flat. Mrs Kite starts to talk, asking about Tarot and saying she could do a deal with him. Lulli silences her by saying they know her friends are going to aim for the Mona Lisa next.

Tun-Ju paces about his HQ impatiently when his heavy enters with the fake Mona Lisa he then despatches the body guard to find and dispose of Mrs Kite, who is now useless.

Night has fallen, Sam locks Mrs Kite up in a room at Tarot's flat and returns to join Tarot and Lulli. Lulli hands Tarot Mrs Kite's brooch which Tarot realises is the electronic key to her boss' headquarters at the restaurant. He heard an electronic hum in the corner on their last visit.

Tarot, Sam and Lulli have returned to the rear room of the restaurant and use the brooch to open the secret door. They soon find the studio cell with the reference material for the Mona Lisa. Next they enter the throne room where Sam's memory is jogged by the dragon chair. Lulli finds the fake Mona Lisa on an easel. Suddenly the darkened room is flooded with light and Tun-Ju's voice booms out. The oriental enters with his wand and bodyguard through the panel, and announces himself to Tarot as "The Emperor of Art Thieves."

Mr Sweet arrives at the deserted flat, and takes a message from Ossie's claw indicating that Tarot and the others have gone for a very late Chinese meal. He goes to investigate moanings from another room. A key is heard turning in a lock, a scuffle follows, a vase smashes and Mrs Kite emerges with the broken neck of a pot in her hands, dashing past Ossie out of the headquarters.

Tarot keeps Tun-Ju talking as Sam moves into a position to have a go. Tarot tries to rile the arrogate oriental, but with no success at all. When Sam attacks Tun-Ju, the huge man turns and freezes him with his wand.

Mr Sweet staggers out of his room holding his head and tells Ossie that he should have warned him.

Tarot is wired up to Tun-Ju's memory scanner with Lulli and Sam wired-up either side, each trapped in a metal chair. "You will cause no further inconvenience, Tarot, to me or any, for I am going to reduce the memories of yourself and your minions to the simpering, illogical level of a child," says Tun-Ju. He passes his wand over the scanner which starts to work. "I wish you happiness in your new found naivety!" The scanner's output mounts.

Lady Landau ushers Mr Sweet into her husband's studio that night whilst Patrick is asleep elsewhere in the house. Mr Sweet is looking for Tarot, Sam and Lulli, but all Lady Landau can say is that Tarot and Sam posed as framers that afternoon. Lady Landau is very worried, but Mr Sweet tells her that Tarot thrives on adversity.

The huge bodyguard disconnects the memory scanner from the trio and Tarot comes to with a boyish grin, reaching out and pulling Lulli's hair. He is acting like a five-year-old, as do Sam and Lulli. Sam is harshly protective to Lulli against 'Stalky' and encourages 'Lu' to bite Tarot's hand, which she does. The three 'children' chase each other around Tun-Ju's throne room, before the huge oriental tells his minion to take them away and leave them somewhere appropriate.

Mr Sweet has been up all night at his shop waiting for Tarot and is very tired when Bonnington enters with the news that the Mona Lisa will be flown out of London tomorrow evening. Mr Sweet is aghast, as this means that Tun-Ju will probably strike that night. Reluctantly he tells Bonnington that Tarot, Sam and Lulli are missing. The gallery owner is all in favour of bringing in the police, but Mr Sweet gains a two-hour respite.

The bodyguard leaves Tarot, Sam and Lulli happily sitting on the swings in a children's playground, Lulli sucking her thumb quietly. He goes back to the car and drives off. At once, Tarot and his friends revert back to normal and get off the swings. Each have two invisible skin-coloured patches on their temples which they now peel off, devised by Tarot to neutralise Tun-Ju's memory monitor. They leave the playground knowing that Tun-Ju will strike soon.

Tun-Ju is studying the ground plans of the National Gallery in his lair when the monitor shows Mrs Kite outside the secret door in the restaurant, unable to enter without her brooch. They bodyguard is told to let Mrs Kite live for the moment as she may be useful, and the woman is admitted. Mrs Kite is delighted to know that the trio have been dealt with and they apply their minds to Tun-Ju's plan.

Mr Sweet is relieved to have Tarot back at the flat as they arrived with only eight minutes of Bonnington's two hours to go. Tarot knows that arresting Tun-Ju is not enough. He is too arrogant and proud. They must humiliate him by beating him at his own game. Tarot intends to steal the Mona Lisa himself: the real one and the fake one.

Lady Landau is phoning Tarot from the studio. Sir Patrick is still asleep and she will hide all his clothes so he will be out of circulation. "He can be very eccentric, but I think a nude walk down the King's Road might well deter him."

At his flat, Tarot tells Mr Sweet that they will have to reluctantly trick Bonnington, and so Mr Sweet must visit him. The old gentleman is crestfallen as he will miss seeing Tun-Ju's lair, but leaves when Tarot promises to show him later. Tarot, Sam and Lulli then turn to pore over a plan of Tun-Ju's HQ, and Tarot shows them three torches which are not as decorative as Mrs Kite's lorgnette, but just as effective.

Tun-Ju, Mrs Kite and the heavy plot their way through the National Gallery on a plan to where Mr Dilke is working in the vaults. Mrs Kite has a new lorgnette, and another of the mandarin's devices is now on the bodyguard's belt-buckle. Tun-Ju is clearly losing faith in Mrs Kite, and despatches her and the bodyguard to work whilst he contemplates his elation once the job is over.

Mr Sweet and Lady Landau talk to Bonnington at Patrick's studio, with the elegant woman telling Bonnington that they can use her husband's name to gain permission for Tarot to see the Mona Lisa. Bonnington leaves to make the necessary arrangements and Mr Sweet thanks Lady Landau for her support. However, in return, Lady Landau wants to know the whole plan.

At the rear of the restaurant, Sam locates the electronic eyes which the trio avoid as they head towards the hidden door. The door suddenly opens and Mrs Kite emerges, so the trio hide in the shadows. Tarot aims his torch and freezes Mrs Kite in mid-step. Lulli is glad to see the device works, and Sam admits that he tested it earlier on Ossie. Tarot and Lulli enter the secret base, but Sam plants a huge kiss on Mrs Kite's forehead: "That's from Digger, your friendly taxi-napper."

The bodyguard us busy clearing up the cell-studio when the trio steal in behind him and Lulli freezes him with her torch. Their next target is Tun-Ju.

In his throne room, Tun-Ju is talking to the fake Mona Lisa whilst the trio listen in the corridor. Tun-Ju is so impressed with the fake that he even considers stealing it back one day. Tarot creeps into the throne and sits nonchalantly as he aims his torch and freeze Tun-Ju. Tarot takes the fake Mona Lisa and sends Lulli to check there is nobody else about. Whilst Tarot is occupied, Sam raises Tun-Ju's robe and ties together the shoelaces of his Western-style shoes. Tarot returns with the Venus so that if anything goes wrong, Bonnington is cleared. Sam picks up the fake and the trio depart, passing the still-frozen Mrs Kite at the secret door.

In Sir Patrick's studio, Lady Landau and Mr Sweet are waiting, the former having got the plan out of the latter. Mr Sweet is sworn to secrecy from Sir Patrick over the things Tun-Ju has done to him. The trio arrive with the Venus and the cased fake, and Tarot is surprised to find Lady Landau knows his plan. Mr Sweet is amazed at the quality of Sir Patrick's fake. They prepare to leave as they are expected at the National Gallery in fourteen minutes.

In the secret oriental lair, Mrs Kite, the bodyguard and Tun-Ju are still all immobile.

Lady Landau and the quartet, with Tarot now wearing a long cloak, are admitted to a side door of the National Gallery. Inside the vaults they are led by a plain-clothes security officer and Bonnington. They note the positions of the security guards in the corridors and arrive at a vault door which the plain-clothes man has a security guard open.

The group enter a room packed with restoring materials and the Mona Lisa locked away in a steel cage. Sam lags behind the group. He, Lulli, Tarot, Mr Sweet and Lady Landau are all clutching small black devices. Bonnington confirms that the repairs are finished as the group suddenly use their torches to freeze him, the plain-clothes man and the guard. Lulli keeps watch as Sam takes the fake Mona Lisa from a pocket in the back of Tarot's cloak and Mr Sweet searches the guard for the keys to the cage, without success. Lady Landau tells them they have a minute before the next security check, but even Sam doesn't like the look of the lock. Tarot sets to work and with twenty seconds left opens the cage and switches paintings. Mr Sweet tells the group the security guards are coming as Lulli and Lady Landau put the real Mona Lisa in the cloak. The quintet take up their original positions and unfreeze Bonnington and the two security men - who carry on as if nothing is amiss. Bonnington feels the danger is over, but Tarot asks him to return to the vault in two hours and eight minutes, when he will prove a point.

The quintet leave the vaults, and Sam considers that Tun-Ju has gone without food for over an hour.

Mrs Kite is still frozen in the back room, as is Tun-Ju in his lair when Tarot, Sam and Lulli enter. Sam places the real Mona Lisa on the easel from which they took the fake one. Lulli and Sam exit and Tarot unfreezes Tun-Ju from the doorway. The oriental continues talking to his 'fake' about how Tarot thought he could meddle with his plans.

Lulli unfreeze he bodyguard from the doorway of the cell, and the thug continues his tidying up.

The trio emerge from the secret door. Tarot stays to unfreeze Mrs Kite from cover. The woman is about to carry on when a crash comes from the back of the HW. She hurries back inside towards a roar of anger.

Mrs Kite finds Tun-Ju spread over the floor, his dignity lost completely yelling at the "walking gargoyle" to help him up.

Back at Tarot's flat, the magician tells the others that as long as they have one of the black neutraliser devices, the will be safe. Tarot is reluctant at involving Lady Landau again, but wild horses will not stop her from joining Tarot's team. They set off to catch Tun-Ju at the gallery.

Tun-Ju, Mrs Kite and the bodyguard walk through the vaults towards three astonished uniformed guards, each of whom is frozen calmly by the trio. Tun-Ju uses his dragon cane to deal with the guard on the vault door in a similar manner. Mrs Kite and the bodyguard get the guard's key and open the door. The group are watched by Tarot and his friends from behind some paintings. As Tun-Ju enters the vault, Tarot estimates that Bonnington will arrive in three minutes.

Tun-Ju has the metal cage open and is so busy switching paintings he and the others fail to notice Tarot's group slip into the room. Tun-Ju locks the fake back in the cage and then Tarot reveals his presence. Tun-Ju aims his cane at Tarot to deal with him, but it has no effect, neither does Mrs Kite's lorgnette. Tarot explains about the neutralisers, so Tun-Ju sends his heavy in as he must resort no "more violent methods." Sam uses his torch to freeze the bodyguard so Tun-Ju threatens to smash his staff through the 'real' Mona Lisa. Sam saves him the job, smashing his fist through the fake painting and Tun-Ju is stunned. Tarot delivers the final crushing blow by pointing out that the ruin Tun-Ju holds is the forgery. Tun-Ju realises with astonishment what Tarot did, causing Mrs Kite to sneer at her oriental master. The security guards - unfrozen by Sam - enter with Bonnington to take charge of Tun-Ju, and Mr Sweet returns the Venus to Bonnington.

Later at the flat, Mr Sweet looks at the "Virtuous Tomato" and Sam suspects he has an ally in his dislike for it. "That is a question of semantics Sam," says the old gentleman, flummoxing the stage manager. The two join Tarot and Lulli by Ossie. Now it is back to hard rehearsal for their performance in Rome on Tuesday. Ossie shrieks and Tarot vanishes. The owl shrieks again and Lulli disappears. The bird's final squawk causes Mr Sweet to vanish, leaving Sam looking around mystified. He then sees the three appear on the rehearsal stage. Tarot apologises and points to Ossie, whose shriek causes Sam to vanish and reappear with the others a moment later - with Ossie on his shoulder. "How very exhilarating, " says Mr Sweet, "far better than bicycling." Tarot remarks, "Don't forget the audience," and the four line up for a final curtain call… [bowing to the camera, and as the script says, POSITIVELY THE END]

Episode synopsis written by Andrew Pixley

This synopsis originally appeared in issue 16 of Time Screen - reproduced by kind permission of the editor and the author

Minor additional material by Simon Coward