Naive Avengersthon - 52. The Outside-In Man

Ronald 'the Rook' Radd returns from Bullseye, as Quilpie, Steed's latest boss. He uses a butcher's shop as a front, which leads to fun as he keeps up the butcher's talk and accent until they're out of earshot of the shop, then abruptly assumes his proper persona with 'That's quite enough of that.'

He assigns Steed to prevent the assassination of one Sharp (later seen to be Philip 'Mars/Venus game' Anthony, returning from Man With Two Shadows) who defected to 'Aburania' but is about to visit Britain under diplomatic protection.

Their meeting is interrupted by the unexpected and coincidental return of agent Charter (James 'Jackson in Underworld' Maxwell) who was sent to Aburania to kill Sharp but has spent five years in prison there.

It soon becomes apparent that Charter is still intent on fulfilling his mission to kill Sharp, even though highly important arms sales will be imperilled if he does so. Steed and Cathy have to track him down before he succeeds.

Maxwell is pretty good as Charter - he seems fairly together at first, in the club scene, but gets increasingly edgy and fanatical as the story progresses. He's got one of those no-nonsense 40s George Orwell faces, which really helps sell the idea that he intends to carry out his original orders.

Basil 'Number Fourteen in Hammer Into Anvil' Hoskins as the Aburanian embassy attache, something of the manner of Philip Madoc about him. Ronald 'Dulcian councillor' Mansell as the club butler. The garage owner is Arthur Lovegrove, who was fairly inconspicuously in Carry on Cowboy.

I didn't spot this myself but various web sources point out that Quilpie's (and presumably Steed's) organisation is named PANSAC. I think this is the first time so far that a name has been put to it.

The story itself is a little bit reminiscent of The Decapod - even the twist is similar (but more complex) than the one in that. The problem for me was that I wasn't really that fussed if he killed Sharp, because early 60s Britain had plenty of other potential customers for armaments.