To celebrate the life of George Foreman who passed away today I am
reposting my Series 11 story "Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee"
which features him.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/22/boxing-champion-george-foreman-dies-at-age-76
It's also Greek Independence Day on Tuesday 25 March so the story is
doubley relevant.
=================================
AGA S11E07 Float Like A Butterfly
=================================
Lara and Rani ask the Doctor to take them to see the historic Rumble in
the Jungle where Muhammed Ali fought George Foreman (the Doctor says he
was a Foreman once) in Zaire.
The TARDIS lands and the Doctor projects a 3D image of the view outside
in the control room.
The occupants see people in the streets wearing what look like
traditional costumes and head coverings. Rani remarks that it's so
backward of the people of Zaire to cover their heads even if it was the
1970s.
The Doctor mentions it might be a good idea to cover up and ushers them
to the TARDIS wardrobe. The girls enter the wardrobe and put on similar
looking costumes as those worn by the people in the street, but refuse
to cover their heads with a hijab.
They all step out of the TARDIS and find themselves in some kind of
warehouse. They hear the crowds in the distance calling Ali, Ali. They
exit the warehouse and follow the voices and arrive at a huge parade
taking place through a broad avenue.
An entourage bearing a litter passes through the street. The girls guess
that this must be Muhammed Ali and move closer to the front of the crowd
to get a better view, followed cautiously by the Doctor.
Inside the litter they see a man covered in rich clothing. They can't
see much of his face since he's waving to the crowd in the other
direction. The Doctor asks someone in the crowd if this is Muhammed Ali
and they say "yes, yes, this is indeed the great Muhammed Ali."
Lara thinks it's some kind of publicity stunt put on for the media which
is all part of the hype surrounding the fight and calls out to Ali to
turn round. The odd thing though is that they can see no sign of
photographers. Maybe they haven't got there yet. It's is the 70s after all.
The girls are noticed by one of Ali's entourage who asks then if they
want to meet Ali and dance for him at a celebration. They accept.
As they journey to Ali's residence the Doctor notices that there is
something strange about their surroundings. Nothing modern is visible,
no TV aerials, public telephones or cars on the roads, only horses and carriages. The girls put it down to Zaire being backwards and the
streets being cleared for the publicity stunt. The Doctor thinks he's
been here before and very recently.
They are all ushered into what looks like a palace. The women are
separated from the men. The Doctor follows his guide into a great hall
where rugs, cushions and small tables are strewn across the floor.
Everyone has to enter in bare feet after being washed and prayers are
chanted to Allah.
The girls are taken to what looks like a harem and given skimpy
bejeweled costumes woven with golden thread to change into.
When everyone is ready in the dining hall the feast begins. Sweets
resembling Turkish delight and baklava are handed out as appetizers.
Middle eastern music is heard being played by the musicians seated on
the floor.
Dancing girls including Lara and Rani are ushered into the dining hall
with bells and tiny symbols tied around their fingers and ankles,
dancing to the music.
They all enter and form a circle in the open space in the middle of the
room lit by oil lamps. On one side is a huge dais with an ornate throne
in the middle resembling a huge golden cushion. Slaves with fans are at
each side. The music stops and a fanfare is played. A richly dressed man
enters in procession with his attendants, wearing a fez. The Doctor
remarks fezzes are cool. The dancers separate to either side of the man
in the fez and he climbs the dais, turns and sits on the cushion.
He is announced as Muhammad Ali, but he has pale skin. Everyone bows
down to him as he sits.
Another man enters the same way also wearing a fez, and sits on the
cushion next to Muhammad Ali.
He is announced as Ibrahim Pasha son of Muhammad Ali Pasha, Khedive of
Egypt and Sudan.
The Doctor and his companions now realize are not in Kinshasa, Zaire but
still in Cairo, Egypt, and not in 1974!
The meal is served and the girls are brought on to dance.
Ibrahim notices Lara and Rani and asks them to sit by his side and share
the meal.
The Doctor given the way he is dressed and a dose of psychic paper is
mistaken for the British minister plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire, William Turner and is invited to sit at the side of Muhammad Ali to
discuss foreign policy.
The Doctor says they have made a mistake and introduces himself to
Muhammad Ali as George Foreman, the ministerial aid to William Turner.
Ali explains to him that he has been asked by Sultan Mahmud II to stop
the Greek's from rebelling by sending a navel force to attack the island
of Hydra in return for control over the island of Crete. He wants to
know if the British will support him and both Ali and Ibrahim begin
offering huge bribes to the Doctor which he repeatedly turns down,
saying Britain is officially neutral.
Ibrahim decides to retire and asks Ali if he can take the two girls with
him. Ali agrees and the Ibrahim orders his bodyguards to take the two
girls with him to his room.
In the hall the celebrations continue but the Doctor takes his leave of
Ali.
Inside Ibrahim's bedroom furs are strewn in the middle of the floor
covered with silks and cushions. Silks and tapestries cover the walls
with branched stands bearing oil lambs for illumination stood in the
corners and hanging from the ceiling.
The girls are instructed to lie on the rugs and the sultan's bodyguards
depart.
Meanwhile after making inquiries as to where the girls might have been
taken the Doctor has left the great hall and is making his way through corridors. Turning a corner he is confronted by a man wearing an ottoman uniform with a belt for his sword around his waist.
He begins to draw the weapon as he challenges the Doctor, who are you
and what are you doing here? The Doctor explains that he is the British
envoy to Constantinople and a guest of Muhammad Ali. The man lets him
pass but then turns around and draws his sword again. Before he can
fully take it out of its sheath the Doctor paralyses him with a Venusian
nerve grip.
Ibrahim begins to take his rich silks off and the girls know exactly
what he wants.
Naughty Pasha says Lara as Ibrahim reaches out for her. We're not the
kind of girls you think we are says Rani shaking a finger at him. What
do you mean? says Ali's son.
Rani kisses Lara on the lips.
'Tis an abomination against Allah, roars Ibrahim and backs off
astonished. Then he regains his temper. But Allah is all forgiving and
all merciful is he not? he whispers, and begins to approach the girls
again.
The girls try to escape by running across the room trying to reach the
door. They are stopped by Ibrahim who blocks their way. They rush to the
other side of the room and Ibrahim comes after them. Rani is trapped and
grabs hold of one of the tapestries trying to climb out of reach. The
tapestry covered in butterfly patters collapses and behind it is
standing an Egyptian soldier with knife drawn. Rani backs away. Suddenly another tapestry begins to move and another soldier emerges from behind.
There is something odd about him, as if he's wearing too many clothes on
top of each other. It's the Doctor. He draws his sword and disarms the
first solder, leading Rani and Lara away from Ibrahim.
Other solders emerge from the tapestries and draw their weapons. The
three companions back away towards where the Doctor first appeared as he
holds the soldiers back.
Another door is located behind the tapestries which the soldiers on
guard duty use to enter and leave the room, and they all back down it
fighting through the corridors of the palace, the girls picking up
missiles to throw at the soldiers.
The Doctor having rescued the girls from the palace enters the outer
courtyard and they all exit and dash through the streets to where he
parked the TARDIS in the warehouse near the bank of the river Nile. It
is gone.
They exist through the far door and in the distance the Doctor sees it
being loaded onto a ship headed for Alexandria.
Suddenly swordsmen come rushing towards the Doctor and his companions
from all directions. They are trapped.
Meanwhile, while this has all been transpiring, a plot is been hatched
by supporters of Greek independence to blow Ibrahim's fleet of ships up
before it can sail for Greece. They plan on posing as Egyptian sailors
to get aboard the ships and ignite the gunpowder stores for the cannons
in the hold.
The Doctor and his companions run by the hashish den that the
conspirators have been meeting in and are beckoned inside by someone
from inside who has seen them running from the swordsmen and suspects
they are fellow freedom fighters.
Inside the Doctor tosses off his uniform to reveal his normal clothes
and the girls are given hijabs to wear before the soldiers can reach the
door and begin a search. Everyone merges in with the hash smokers.
It is night when the heat is over the Doctor thanks the people who saved
him and explains that Ibrahim tried to take advantage of the girls. The conspirators recognize him as being British and he tells them he was a
friend of Lord Byron and supports a free Greece recognizing the
conspirators as being Greek.
After a long discussion the Doctor tells his new friends that Ibrahim's
men took something that belongs to him, a tall blue box with a lamp on
top, with valuable items inside and put it on one of the ships anchored
in the harbour. He asks if they can help him get on board the ship. They
ask why they should help him. The Doctor tells them that the ship is
Ibrahim's flagship and that from a conversation he had with Muhammad Ali
in the palace the ship will sail to Alexandria in the morning to join
the fleet that is being sent to assert control over Greece.
Ibrahim will be on board the ship and if they can get on board with
enough men then they might be able to assassinate him. They mull over
the idea but how to get on board. The Doctor suggests they make pursuit
by commandeering another ship, one of the support ships in the harbour
which no one will notice, and then boarding the flagship by night and
taking it by surprise. He tells them that he can navigate pilot it,
being an officer in the royal navy.
They set off to enact their plan and take hold of the support ship.
In the morning Ibrahim boards his flagship and it sets sail. The
conspirators follow at a distance.
The ships approach Alexandria and a vast fleet can be seen assembled in
the distance stretching in all directions.
Night falls and while everyone else is sleeping the Doctor and his
companions get ready for the assault. But the conspirators have other
plans in mind. There will be no boarding planks. Instead they will blow Ibrahim's flagship up as soon as they get within cannon range. But the
Doctor tells them they have no gunpowder. It's doesn't get put on board
until they get to Alexandria.
It turns out that conspirators smuggled gunpowder aboard the ship when
it was in Cairo and they have enough for a broadside. If it succeeds in
sinking the ship the TARDIS will be lost.
The Doctor struggles to stop them but they hold him back at knife point
along with the girls.
...to be continued.
===========================
AGA S11E08 Sting Like A Bee
===========================
The Greek resistance fighters try to broadside Ibrahim's flagship with
their cannons, and the TARDIS still inside it.
The Doctor warns them that if they do this they will bring the entire
Egyptian navy upon them and they will all die. How are they going to
stop the Egyptian fleet then? The flagship can easily be replaced and
the Turks outnumber the Greek and allied ships combined. The navy will
continue to sail to Greece unimpeded.
They ignore the Doctor's pleas and order the cannons to be fired. The
fuses are lit and they burn out. Then there is silence. The cannons have
not fired.
The Doctor now free goes over to a barrel of powder, picks some up on
the tip of his finger and tastes it. That's not gunpowder, he says out
loud.
The leader of the conspirators mutters dishonest thieves the lot of
them. They never keep their word except to themselves.
It turns out that the Greeks had been sold the gunpowder by an Arab
merchant who had duped them and substituted fake gunpowder in its place.
The Greeks decide to abandon their plan to blow the ship up, but it is
too late to board Ibrahim's ship to assassinate him. Due to the length
of time the Greeks took to load and aim the cannons they have now
reached the port of Alexandria and Ottoman vessels have arrived to guide
all the ships in.
The rebel ship backs off and waits for the other ships to sail past
before docking.
The Doctor gets off with some of the rebels and sets off for the British mission in Alexandria. Along the way they go through the Greek quarter
and meet up with more rebels there and discuss their plans.
Lara and Rani stay behind at the harbour to watch Ibrahim's flagship and
see if the TARDIS is to be unloaded.
Meanwhile the Doctor accompanied by an increased compliment of Greeks
arrives at the British consulate with the rebels and they go in with the
Doctor producing his psychic paper.
The rebels tell the British officers stationed there of their plans to
sink the fleet and ask for help but are dissuaded from doing so. The
British tell them that the French officers who have been training the
Ottoman soldiers have agreed to withdraw from the ships before they can
do battle.
The British also have a letter which is to be delivered to Ibrahim
ordering him not attempt to sail his fleet to Greece. The Doctor still pretending to be George Foreman offers to deliver it to Ibrahim, and a
group of soldiers and officers is dispatched to escort him to Ibrahim's flagship.
At the ship the Doctor asks to see Ibrahim and they exchange greetings.
Ibrahim remembers who his is and asks him to explain himself. The Doctor
tells Ibrahim that he tried to take advantage of his two female
companions against their wills and it was his duty to protect them.
Ibrahim explains that he thought they were courtesans and now realizing
they were not pretends to apologize profusely. The Doctor then tells
Ibrahim that a tall blue box with a lamp of top belonging to him has
been put in his ship's hold by mistake. Ibrahim guides him around the
ship and they find the box. Ibrahim doesn't recognise it and orders it
to be transferred to dry land. Ibrahim then reads the letter ordering
him not to sail to Greece and tells the Doctor he will not obey the
British. The fleet will set off immediately. The Doctor and his escort
are dismissed.
Meanwhile Lara and Rani with the rebels at their ship are spotted by
Egyptian soldiers who come to investigate why the ship is so far away
from the others. A fist fight breaks out between the rebels and the
soldiers in an attempt to stop the soldiers getting near the ship.
Lara, Rani along with half the rebels are arrested and dragged to the
local jail.
The remaining rebels flee and find the rest of their contingent with the
Doctor who have now returned to the Greek quarter of the city and
explain what has happened.
The TARDIS is now taken off Ibrahim's ship and taken into the possession
of some British soldiers who load it onto a cart and drive it away.
The Doctor with the Alexandrian resistance now plan to break Lara and
Rani along with the rebels out of prison.
The create a distraction with an explosion near the prison to lure away
some of the guards and then break in overpowering the remaining guards
and rescue their friends.
While this is happening the TARDIS is being loaded onto a British
flagged ship.
Just as it sets sail the Doctor, Lara and Rani arrive at the harbour.
After going back to the British mission they find out that the ship is
on course for Nafplio the de-facto Greek capital after being donated by
the British to the Greek resistance. The British assumed that the Doctor
had donated the TARDIS and its contents to the resistance too, so put it
on board the ship with everything else for the rebels in Greece.
The rebels from Egypt now fully armed invite the Doctor and his
companions to join them back on the Egyptian ship which they have now recaptured and they set sail for the island of Hydra under the
protection of a Russian flag to join with the Greek forces there to
fight the Ottomans. They will not sail for Nafplio because of internal divisions between the rebel factions.
At Hydra the rebels discuss their next moves and learn of the atrocities
being carried out by the Turks in Morea against the civilian population.
Greek villages are being burned to the ground. The people are taken to
be ransomed, tortured to death or sold into slavery. The girls will be
raped by their owners. The captured priests are to be executed.
After fending off a Turkish attack on the island with their fireships
some of the rebels decide to fight on the mainland and are accompanied
by the Doctor, Lara and Rani who intend to head for Nafplio to recover
the TARDIS, but first the Doctor must help repair Greece's most modern
ship, the Karteria, the world's first ever steam powered warship, whose
engines have sustained damage in the many battles it has fought.
A gang of thugs has just burned down a mainland village and taken it's
boys and girls hostage and executed the priest. The inhabitants are
penniless and cannot afford to buy their children back.
The rebels, the Doctor and his companions after meeting up with General Theodoros Kolokotronis stumble across the villagers and offer to help them.
With Kolokotronis help they storm the Turkish stronghold and get back
the children and return them to their parents.
Next they head to join the Greek naval vessel Karteria at the Gulf of
Corinth commended by Capt Frank Abney Hastings, and the Doctor helps to
repair its engine. Sailing against the wind at Itea it sinks 9 Ottoman
ships.
In the Karteria they receive orders from the British to desist their
attacks on the Turks but refuse and head for the entrance of the Gulf of Corinth where they join Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington's fleet.
The Doctor meets Codrington and agrees to make a final plea to Ibrahim
to stop his attacks on the Greeks in return for the Greeks stopping
theirs. He sails to Ibrahim's flagship and comes on board but fails to
persuade him to retreat. Ibrahim knows the Greeks will not keep their
side of the agreement. The Doctor returns and Codrington fires a series
of warning broadsides at Ibrahim forcing him to turn back from entering
the mouth of the gulf, but Ibrahim's scorched-earth policy continues
unabated on land. The fires of burning villages and fields are clearly
visible from Allied ships standing offshore.
The Doctor now arrives at Navarino Bay which is being besieged by the
Great Powers, Britain, France and Russia when a British landing party
reports that the population of Messenia is close to mass starvation and persuades Codrington to take action.
At the bay the Ottomans attempt to light a fireship to warn off the
British ships. The British try to stop it by sending a ship to it, but
the Ottomans fire on the British ship. The French flagship opens fire
with muskets to protect the British ship and the Ottomans retaliate with
a corvette firing on the French ship. A chain reaction now breaks out
and there is all out warfare.
Eventually the combined Ottoman-Egyptian fleet is sunk by the British,
French and Russians. With the Egyptians losing their entire fleet it is impossible for them to keep control of Greece. The Doctor remarks that
this was the last great naval battle ever to be fought with wooden
sailing ships.
The Doctor and his companions now journey uneventfully to Nafplio.
After arriving in Nafplio the Doctor finds the British ship anchored in
the harbour and inquires the location of the TARDIS. Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, then Governor of Greece, comes to greet them and thanks
them for their help. He then takes the Doctor aside and whips a sheet
off a tall rectangular object standing near by, saying, I believe this
is yours, showing him the TARDIS. The Doctor thanks him and they all set
off for dinner.
Dinner ends and the party begins with everyone dancing until night to
Greek traditional music.
In the morning the Doctor, Lara and Rani after saying their goodbyes, go
into the TARDIS and the Doctor sets the right coordinates for Kinshasa,
Zaire and the Rumble in the Jungle.
They arrive and Rani reminds Lara to take the George Foreman Grill with
them for a BBQ in front of the stadium.
George Foreman and his entourage pass by and George says, 'that's one magnificent grill you've got there'. Ali is close behind and calls out,
'that George Foreman is incapable of going past eight rashers let alone
eight rounds' and laughs. The Doctor offers George a larger grill, who
thanks him and hands it to one of his entourage saying he will make use
of it later, and they all move on. Ali jogs past singing, 'Float like a butterfly sting like a bee – his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see', amid loud cheers coming from everyone bunched around him including
Lara and Rani who join them following the procession into the stadium.
<<<THE END>>>
--
The True Doctor
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngrZwoS0n21IRcXpKO79Lw
"To be woke is to be uninformed which is exactly the opposite of what it
stands for." -William Shatner
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