"And I wish I could explain, Ian, how important it is to me."
A lovely scene; we can sympathise hugely with both of them. What the TARDIS, in this episode relegated to the stables of a picturesque Inn ("What does he think it is, a potting shed or something?") means to our travellers is obvious, but it also, rather cleverly, represents a chance for Marco Polo to be able to go home too if he ever manages to get it to the Khan as a gift.
It's stalemate. Everyone is pleasant enough, with people's word being taken as guarantee against action, but this is an elaborate and powerful game with three intelligent factions, Tegana being the third, desperately trying to outmanoeuvre each other to the point were Ian and co unite with Polo and his men to fight off Bandits so effectively that Tegana murders his accomplice to avoid Polo's suspicion.
There is another moving scene between Ping-Cho and Susan as the former steals a TARDIS key after hearing that Susan's home is 'as far as a night star.'
Our guys get tantalizingly close to escaping, three of them inside the Ship!, when Susan is grabbed by Tegana who emerges from behind what he sees as a War Lord's tomb.
I'm gripped again, as is, I suppose, Susan.
Next episode: Mighty Kublai Khan
