A Twist in the Tale

Close your eyes and imagine.

Two enduring English folk heroes are Robin Hood

of Sherwood Forest and King Arthur of Camelot.

Now we know Sherwood Forest existed because it's still there

but King Arthur's fabled kingdom of Camelot,

where the Knights of the Round Table met,

Merlin the magician could summon the Lady of the Lake.

Where was that?

I think it was make believe.

- What about your brother, what do you think?

I think it was real.

Ah, and so have many men before you.

For hundreds of years.

This is the story of the three brilliant men

who risked everything to prove they knew

the exact location of Camelot.

That legendary realm which King Arthur himself

dedicated to the virgin Mary,

known to him as Gramarye.

In those far off days, the supernatural was as much

a part of life as was the natural.

A great enchantress of Camelot was the beautiful

and dangerous Morgan le Fay.

According to Victorian tradition, her spirit lived on

in Wessex in the form of the soothsayer, Morgana,

and no one took her predictions lightly.

- An African shore, and dead souls given up by the sea.

Children involved.

Parents involved.

And someone you know well is involved.

Someone I know?

Who?

Oh come on, come on.

Aidan, stop it please.

Mama said in her letter that they wouldn't be back

much before luncheon, and that was written over a month ago.

Anything could have happened.

The ship could have been delayed or--

No it couldn't.

If anything had gone wrong,

papa would have sent a telegraph.

Oh why aren't they here.

We haven't seen them for three years.

I know, I know, but after three years,

another few minutes aren't so very long, are they?

It's them, it's them!

Whoa.

Thank you.

Uncle Lance.

- Uncle Lance, are you coming with us too?

- I'm sorry my dears, your parent's ship has been delayed.

I thought it better to explain it to you directly.

What's happened?

They're alright aren't they?

Your parent's ship ran into some trouble

off the cape of Good Hope.

So are you taking us to Salcombe

and papa and mama will join us there very soon?

- The delay that I mentioned will be a couple of weeks,

at least.

We're going to spend a fortnight with some friends of mine.

We're going to be guests of the Earl of Sackville.

An earl?

Where does he live?

- In Devon, in the land of the Cameliards, as he puts it.

In the domain of Camelot.

Camelot?

King Arthur's Camelot?

The same.

The Knights of the Round Table?

That Camelot.

- Here we are, Lord Sackville's estate.

The land of the Cameliards.

Camelot.

- Uncle, what is it? - What was that?

What is it with that dreadful wind?

What is it?

Then on the land of Cameliard was waste,

thick with wet woods and all the beasts therein.

Whoa, whoa.

It's alright, it's alright.

This means nothing.

There, there.

How can it, how can it mean nothing?

- What it is is something to do with the weather.

At this time of year, it's a regular occurrence,

I assure you.

Regular?

It's terrible.

What are you taking us into uncle?

It's alright, wind.

Whoa, whoa there.

Ho there.

Whoa.

Thank you.

- Dulac, lovely to see you again my dear friend.

And this must be your niece.

Indeed, Victoria, always known as Vicki.

Vicki, Lord Sackville.

Welcome to Gramarye, young lady.

And you would be?

Aidan Tudor my lord.

How do you do young fellow?

Very well sir, thank you.

That's the way to do it, hmm.

And this is my daughter, Guinevere.

Always to be known alas, as Gennie.

It'll be lovely to have some

young faces here for a change.

Thank you your ladyship.

I do believe you made a joke professor.

One of many I hope in the next month.

How are you?

Come along.

Tea's waiting.

- It's absolutely delightful your ladyship.

Now listen to me, both of you.

We're going to be fast friends the three of us,

so I'll have none of this ladyship nonsense.

If I may call you Vicki and Aidan,

then you may certainly, in fact, you must call me Gennie.

The house is so old.

It must be full of history.

Yes, it is.

And many to do with King Arthur and his Camelot.

Will you tell us about them?

- Presently, and I'm sure you'll find some for yourselves.

I'll pick you up in an hour then?

- The beginnings of all great enterprises are invariably

cheerful positives, only later when difficulties

are encountered and danger threatens,

that the mood of optimism dwindles.

Thank you.

- So it was in the great house of Gramarye.

That evening was to be the children's last experience

of freedom from care.

- So tomorrow you are going to ask about that

wind we heard when we came into the drive.

Uncle Lance explained about that.

No he didn't.

He said something about a regular thing here when it's hot.

Then that's what it was.

- How can there be a wind that doesn't move anything?

It was a terrible roaring.

Both the trees and the bushes didn't budge an inch.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Sleep well.

Yes.

It's the wind again.

Vicki!

Vicki!

Vicki, Vicki, wake up, wake up.

It's the awful wind.

It's the same again, nothing's moving.

Gennie.

It's that terrible wind again.

You've heard it before?

Yes, today in the coach.

It was horrible.

It frightened us half to death.

It's gone.

What is it?

I don't know.

It happens sometimes.

Haven't you asked your father about it?

Papa seems to welcome it.

I think it's going to rain.

In fact, I'm certain it is.

Boring.

Aidan.

Well it is.

Gennie was gonna take us on the lake this afternoon.

Well I'm afraid the lake's

out of the question at the moment.

So what are we gonna do with you?

You could explore the house.

It's so big there are places I probably don't know of.

It must come to an end soon, surely.

We seem to have been walking for miles.

There's someone there.

Where?

Straight ahead, they've got a lamp too.

It's a mirror.

It's us.

Peculiar place to put a mirror.

And such a huge one too.

Wonder if this is the end of the house?

What do you mean?

- If it isn't and there's something behind it,

I'm going to find out what it is.

There's probably a catch or a latch somewhere,

if I could only find it.