Prince Edmund Blackadder: Encyclopedia II - Prince Edmund Blackadder - First encounter with Dougal McAngus

Prince Edmund Blackadder - First encounter with Dougal McAngus

Dougal McAngus soon arrived with recently won Turkish treasures and news from the crusaders. He also transported the regards of his father to the Queen consort. (McAngus was unaware that during his journey to England his father had died and that he was now Fourth Duke of Argyll.) Harry then attempted to introduce Dougal to Edmund. With Dougal mistaking the younger Prince for a eunuch, the two got off to a bad start. When Edmund introduced himself as the Duke of Edinburgh, McAngus complained about the Duke being as Scottish as "as the Queen of England 's tits ".

Harry attempted to defuse the situation by informing McAngus that his heroic efforts in battle had won the favour of the King. His latest correspondence instructed Harry to offer McAngus whatever he desired. Edmund was not pleased that Dougal asked for " fair Selkirk, and the noble shire of Roxburgh". Though commenting that those lands in fact belong to him, Edmund failed to make an impression on either Harry or Dougal. Complaining that these would only leave him with Peebles, only reminded McAngus to ask for Peebles too. At first commenting that: "Well! What an absurd idea, giving away half of Scotland to a kilted maniac for slaughtering a couple of syphilitic Turks!". However a little persuasion at swordpoint by McAngus was enough for Edmund to apparently change his mind.

Soon however, Edmund started scheming to attack McAngus in the Great Hall and to stab him in the urinary bladder. Baldrick politely pointed out that attacking in full view of the Court was bound to cause suspicions. Baldrick suggested a "cunning plan" to get McAngus to stick his own head down a cannon and then blow it off. Edmund instead chose to follow the Scotsman who had gone hunting. Soon enough Edmund was literally caught in the snare of his rival.

Quick at improvising, Edmund offered McAngus the protagonist role in the performance of the Mystery play The Death of the Scotsman (the above mentioned The Death of the Pharaoh with a telling change of title). He would only need to learn "acting dead". Dougal accepted and naturally Edmund arranged for a stage death for him.

On the night of the fateful performance however, Dougal approached Edmund to discuss with him. He revealed that the Third Duke of Argyll and the Queen were former lovers. He also claimed to have letters proving the affair and disputing the parentage of Harry. Seeing his one chance of removing Harry from the line of succession, Edmund prevented the assassination.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "First encounter with Dougal McAngus", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki