"Before"
                  A Prelude to "Chessmen of the Apocolypse"

                  (Herein, the writers discuss what to make
                            this story be about.)

[Captain R/C]

I'd go for a nice castle story, myself, one in which KOE Joe has been taken
VERY Ill and is unable to lead.  And some goofy replacement steps in and
messes everything up......and we treat him just like he's a substitute
teacher.

  "Who's Richard Hurtz?"the repli-king says
  "No!  It's Dick!"
  "Ok, who's Dick...  Ohh hohoho verrry funny!"

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Actually, whether Cappy was kidding about that or not, that wasn't the worst
idea I've heard..  heh.

[Sevarian]

>[Quoted lines from Captain R/C's above message deleted.]

"Goofy replacement" Oh, one of the Dukes...<grin>

Hey, I always *liked* those name-jokes....

[Blue Spy]          [Title: Illness ]

The only real question is exactly what the 'ILLNESS' is!  Any suggestions???

[Sevarian]

Well...maybe narcolepsy?  You know, where the person falls asleep
without warning...

[Captain R/C]       [Title: hey! Take that back! ]

  Isn't narcolepsy that affects those kids who always go tell on someone?
naa...

  Ok, the illness is...  well, perhaps we should just start the story, whether
you like it or not, and since all those magicians and kryponesians where part
of a space story, and this is a castle story, they'd be a little akward in
this one...

In the beginning.......................(how all great stories start)

  "Ok, uhh....  put it over there..."said KEO Joe to the Duke of Norad...