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Part One - Issue 908, May 10th 1969:
JOHN STEED and Tara King have been assigned to watch the Arabian ruler of
Sulazan - who is in London to sign an oil agreement with the British Government
- as Mother suspects he may attempt an illegal purchase of guns for his army.
In a Ministry office, the ruler puts his signature to the contract - Sheikh
Sayid Mahmoud, Tiger of the Desert, Master of the Scrolls.
Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.
Steed and Tara have been assigned to watch Sheikh Sayid, who is in London to sign an oil agreement with the British Government, because Mother believes he may attempt to make an illegal purchase of guns for his army. The signing ceremony takes place in an office in Whitehall. Steed and Tara are waiting outside. They are looking forward to seeing the back of the Sheikh in 24 hours time. He exits the office and Steed and Tara follow him back to Enderly Court, where he is staying. Steed and Tara decide to keep an eye on him from the summer house. At sunset, Steed spots someone in a very strange get-up approaching the house. He recognises him as Jasper Groat – an arms dealer also known as The Merchant of Death. Steed decides that to know exactly what is going on they need to get into the house.
Part Two - Issue 909, May 17th 1969:
Sheikh Sayid Mahmoud of Sulazan has come to England and signed an oil agreement
with the British Government. But Mother suspects he will attempt an illegal
purchase of guns for his army. As Steed and Tara King are watching Enderley
Court, where the Sheikh is staying, they see the arrival of Jasper Groat, a
notorious arms dealer. Determined to hear what is being planned, they
break into the house.
Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.
Steed and Ms. King enter the house by climbing up a balcony. They hear voices coming from the hall and sneak closer. Sheikh Sayid is handling a machine gun. He asks Jasper Groat where he will get more from. Groat tells him that he will get them from the British Army – his men are going to raid the Aldershot depot that night. The Sheikh tells him that if he has the guns at the airport the next day, then he has a deal.
Steed and Tara realise that they must warn the Army, but as they turn to leave they are surprised by a man with a very long sword. He takes them before the Sheikh who says that they must die as they have heard his plans. However, he says that their lives will be spared if Steed can beat his bodyguard, Zeyd, in combat. Steed agrees to the challenge, even though Zeyd is huge.
Part
Three - Issue 910, May 24th 1969:
SHEIKH Sayid Mahmoud of Saluzan has come to England to sign an oil agreement.
Steed and Tara King discover that he is arranging to purchase modern guns for
his army from Jasper Groat, a criminal arms dealer, who intends to steal them
from a British Army Depot. Just as they learn this vital information,
Steed and Tara are caught and brought before the Sheikh. He promises to
spare their lives if Steed can defeat a giant member of his bodyguard in a wrestling
contest.
Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.
The fight begins, and Steed takes advantage of Zeyd’s massive size by dodging between his legs and flooring him. The giant retaliates by springing up quickly and grabbing Steed in a death-lock. He tells Steed that he has no wish to kill him, but he must obey the orders of his master. Steed rolls Zeyd over and knocks him out. Sheikh Sayid spares them – he has them locked in the north tower. Steed and Tara still want to get out to warn the army, but they are powerless. Then, they hear somebody approaching up the stairs.
Part Four - Issue 911, May 31st 1969:
WHILE Sheikh Sayid Mahmoud is on an official visit to England he arranges
to buy guns for his army from a criminal arms dealer, Jasper Groat. Steed
and Tara King discover that Groat plans to obtain the weapons by raiding a British
Army Depot, but then they are captured. Steed wins a fight with one of
the sheikh's bodyguards, but both he and Tara are imprisoned in a tower.
There seems to be no way of escape to warn the army of the raid, but then they
hear footsteps approaching their cell.
Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.
Zeyd
enters the room carrying food. He tells Steed that he wants to honour the man
who beat him in a fair fight. He wants to help them to escape because he believes
that if the Sheikh gets his guns there will be a lot of bloodshed in Saluzan.
He bends the iron bars of the cell with his bare hands, and helps the duo escape.
Jasper and his men have already left for the raid on the Aldershot depot. Steed
drives furiously through the countryside in his Rolls Royce car. Tara sends
a message to Mother, who tells her that the Army and Military Police are on
their way. They reach the depot and find that the guards have all been knocked
out, and that they are all that stands between Jasper Groat and success.
Part Five - Issue 912, June 7th 1969:
SHEIK SAYID MAHMOUD has arranged to buy guns from Jasper Groat, who plans
to obtain the weapons by raiding a British Army Depot. Steed and Tara
King raise the alarm and Military Police are on their way to the depot.
But Steed and Tara get there first and find the raid is already in progress.
Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.
Steed grabs a fire hose he plans to use against Jasper and his men. When they emerge from within the depot carrying the boxes of guns he sends them flying with a torrent of water. The military police arrive at this point and start to arrest the men. Steed has a cunning plan for the Sheikh – he will get his boxes but he won’t be getting the guns in them. Tara finds a consignment of old uniforms – fab gear for the younger generation she calls them. The label on them reads ‘Urgent for delivery – Balaclava 1854’. Steed is convinced – this is the equipment which should go to the Sheikh.
Part Six - Issue 913, June 14th 1969:
WHILE on an official visit to England, Sheikh Sayid Mahmoud of Saluzan arranges
to buy guns from Jasper Groat. Steed and Tara King manage to foil the
plot, and as the sheikh prepares to fly home, police, disguised as Jasper's
men, deliver packing cases, of what the sheikh believes are guns, to London
Airport.
Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.
The Avengers are at London Airport to watch the Sheikh depart, along with his boxes of antique equipment. He is already planning his next conquest courtesy of the weapons he doesn’t have. His plane takes off.
A week later, Steed and Tara are wondering what has happened, while over in Saluzan the Sheikh has soldiers and himself dressed in a variety of the old uniforms. He is delighted with the effect. Steed gets a knock on the door and discovers Zeyd there. Zeyd tells Steed that the Sheikh is happy playing soldiers, and no longer wants to make war. As a thank you, the Sheikh has sent Steed a present. Unfortunately for Steed, it’s the finest racing camel in Saluzan.
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