File under ‘Imagination, Lack of’.

Time’s Champion : 

He only wanted to 

take over An Empire. 

At least he didn't want 

to Destroy The World. 

(Light appears.) 

Time’s Champion :

Light, I think I've solved Your Problem for you. 

LIGHT: 

There's only one solution to Earth. 

I was going to reduce it to this…

(Light picks up a ladle full of soup.) 

ACE: 

Oh, no. 

Time’s Champion :

So you started with Inspector MacKenzie. 

JOSIAH: 

The cream of Scotland Yard. 

Time’s Champion :

Primordial Soup, the most precious substance in the universe, from which all life springs. 

LIGHT: 

Merely sugars, proteins and amino acids. 

But it will soon start to evolve again, 

so I'm going to stop The Change here. 

All organic life will be eradicated 

in The Firestorm —

And when This World is destroyed, 

no more change, no more evolution —

no more Life. 

No more amendments 

to My Catalogue. 

Time’s Champion :

But you evolve too, Light. 

LIGHT: 

Nonsense! 

Time’s Champion :

Of course you do. 

You change, adapt, all the time. 

Your attitude, your place, your mind. 

I mean, look at you now —

You're no longer 

your original shape. 

And I don't think much about 

Your Catalogue. It's full of gaps. 

LIGHT: 

All organic life is recorded. 

Time’s Champion :

What about the gryphons, the basilisks?

[Entrance hall]

Time’s Champion :

You missed The Dragons, the Bandersnatches. 

Then there are the slithy toves 

and the Crowned Saxe-Coburg. 

(Light appears. He's not as bright and golden as he first was.) 

LIGHT: 

Where are these items? 

Time’s Champion :

I can't think how you missed them. 

You have to complete the catalogue 

before you can destroy all life, here. 

LIGHT: 

Control? 

Time’s Champion :

She's no use to you now. 

She's evolved as well. 

LIGHT: 

No! All slipping away. 

Time’s Champion :

All is Change, all is Movement…

Tell me, Light, haven't you just 

changed your location? 

LIGHT: 

Not yet. 

Time’s Champion :

What's the matter, Light, 

changed your mind? 

LIGHT: 

You are endlessly agitating, 

unceasingly mischievous. 

Will you never stop? 

Time’s Champion :

I suppose I could. It would make A Change.

LIGHT: 

Nimrod! I can rely on you. 

Assist me now. 

NIMROD: 

I'm sorry, sir — My Allegiance 

is to This Planet, My Birthright. 

LIGHT: 

Argh! Everything is changing. 

All in flux. Nothing remains the same. 

Time’s Champion :

Even remains, change. 

It's This Planet. 

It can't help itself. 

LIGHT: 

I will not change. 

I'll wake up soon. 

No Change. Dead. 

(Ace, Redvers and Control come out of the dining room as Light stops.) 

Time’s Champion :

Subject for catalogue —

File under ‘Imagination, Lack of’.