The second instalment of Magic Bullet’s Faction Paradox is less focussed than the opening episode, but is still a production of high calibre.  With the action shifting from 1763 Naples to the eponymous ship, the narrative is split and after establishing great performances in the first story, one can’t help but think that the likes of Isla Blair, Robert Lock and Alastair Lock (who is a very good actor, despite being better known for his astounding sound design and music skills) are a little wasted in this part.  This instalment is far more concerned with Sutekh and Upuat aboard the Ship and with Cousin Justine’s discovery of what Sutekh is planning.  Gabriel Woolf and Julian Glover continue to excel and are ably supported by the new addition to the cast of fan favourite, Peter Miles as the officious and jobsworth Anhor.

There are some interesting developments and twists to the story, one of which relies as much on the listener’s perceptions as the characters themselves.  The revelation of where Marne’s baby has come from and why it is ill is heartbreaking.  A child of the Black Tree race bank under Pompeii, the baby is physically and temporally imperfect.  The description of how her father and mother sometimes forget all about her, because of her incomplete timeline, is heart wrenching.  Maybe it’s because I’m a father that nowadays I am more affected by tragic storylines featuring babies and small children (any viewing of Call the Midwife is a tear-soaked occasion).  Robert Lock and Patricia Merrick are wonderful in these scenes and it’s a shame it looks as if this is the last we will hear from their characters.

The other twist is the identity of the Dark God that Isla Blair’s Merytra worships.  Both the characters and the listener assume she is referring to Sutkeh – the characters because of her link with the Malakh, Sutekh’s personal retinue, and the listener because of Pyramids of Mars and Sutekh’s role as the Destroyer and God of Death.  The fact that she actually worships Upuat is a great reveal.

The concept of the Ship of a Billion Years is a good Lawrence Miles idea.  The Osirian court is a number of different places spread throughout the universe, the Ship just one of these, allowing for a grand scale to be hinted at without actually visiting each and every place.  The Ship itself sounds suitably grand and it is intriguing to hear these godlike beings in their own environment, particularly Sutekh’s opposition to the status quo.

Quite where the story will now go, with its ties to 18th century Italy severed is anyone’s guess, but I am very excited to find out.  The next instalment, Body Politic, introduces Philip Madoc as the War King (who may or may not be the Master depending on how much you believe the elements of Faction Paradox are ersatz Doctor Who elements), Chris Tranchell (of Leela-loving Andred fame) and Tracey Russell (a key player in the Kaldor City series of audios) as Nephthys – who in the world of the novels is the Osirian who causes trouble for the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan in the Missing Adventure, The Sands of Time.

The only downside is that Julian Glover’s Upuat seems to have done a runner (as he said he would if it looked like Sutekh was going to succeed in his bid to take over the Ship) along with his new slave, Merytra.

How any of this series ties in with The Sands of Time or, for that matter, Pyramids of Mars is anyone’s guess, but the first two instalments of this version of Faction Paradox have restored my faith in Lawrence Miles’ writing ability and made me eager to listen to the rest of the series.
I would strongly recommend searching out these Faction Paradox CDs, still available I believe direct from Magic Bullet, and giving them a whirl, particularly if you think we never got enough of Gabriel Woolf even with his return in both The Impossible Planet and Empire of Death.