THE GRAND DUKE

BY & GoscinnY Original title:

Original edition: © Editeur Paris 1973 by Goscinny and Morris © Lucky Comics www.lucky-luke.com

English translation: © 2011 Ltd

Translator: Erica Jeffrey Lettering and text layout: Imadjinn sarl Printed in Spain by Just Colour Graphic

This edition first published in Great Britain in 2011 by Cinebook Ltd 56 Beech Avenue Canterbury, Kent CT4 7TA www.cinebook.com

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-84918-083-2 HE’S HERE, MR SECRETARY AH! SHOW HIM IN. OF STATE.

YOUR TELEGRAM THANK YOU FOR SEEMED URGENT. YOU DID WELL. YOU KNOW WE ? FOLLOW ME, RESPONDING I LEFT AS SOON AS I GOT WOULDN’T HAVE ASKED YOU TO COME PLEASE. SO QUICKLY, IT, WITHOUT EVEN TAKING TO WASHINGTON IF IT WEREN’T A MATTER . TIME TO CHANGE MY OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE… CLOTHES.

? ?

HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE ? LEONID! HIS EXCELLENCE FEDOR MIKHAILOVICH BOULENKOV, COLONEL IN HIS MAJESTY THE CZAR’S GUARD AND AIDE-DE- CAMP TO HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS!

3 GENTLEMEN, THIS IS THE LEGENDARY LUCKY LUKE, THE LUXY LUXY? THE COLONEL SERVE THE SECRETARY MAN WHO IS KNOWN AS THE BEST IN THE WEST! AND AS YOUR INTERPRETER, OF STATE IS TOO ONE WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN OF SO MUCH SERVICE LUCKY LUKE. HE KNOWS MUCH KIND. TO OUR COUNTRY… OUR LANGUAGE PERFECTLY.

INTERPRET? WHAT FOR?

LET ME EXPLAIN… FEDYA!

HO! HO! HO! POOM POOM! POOM POOM! HIS HIGHNESS EXPRESSES THAT HA! DADA! WE MOVE NOW TO OUR LUXY LUXY! EMBASSY WHERE WE WILL HOPE FOR YOUR WISITING…

… HIS HIGHNESS ? WHAT’S THE STORY HERE, EXACTLY? WISHES THAT THIS PERIOD OF WAITING WILL BE I’LL EXPLAIN MINUSCULE. IT TO YOU, LUXY… LUCKY LUKE…

4 THE GOVERNMENT WISHES … BUT BEFORE HE SIGNS THIS TREATY … AS AN ENTHUSIAST OF THE WILD TO SIGN A COMMERCIAL TREATY OF SO VITAL TO OUR ECONOMY, THE GRAND WEST, ASSIDUOUS READER OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE WITH RUSSIA. DUKE HAS SET ONE CONDITION… FENIMORE COOPER AND THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE VISIT TO OTHER LIKE AUTHORS, WASHINGTON BY GRAND DUKE LEONID, HE WANTS TO GO WEST PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND AND SEE IT ALL: TOWNS, PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE CZAR… CATTLE, PRAIRIE, BANDITS, INDIANS, PROSPECTORS…

… HE NEEDS A GUIDE WHO YES, BUT PLEASE NOTE CAN GUARANTEE HIS SAFETY. YOU WANT ME THAT THEY WILL TRAVEL I LEAVE IT TO YOU TO IMAGINE TO TAKE THOSE INCOGNITO. IF THEIR IDENTI- THE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD TWO NINCOMPOOPS TIES WERE KNOWN, THEY SOMETHING REGRETTABLE ON A TRIP ACROSS WOULD BE TEMPTING HAPPEN TO THE GRAND DUKE. THE WEST PREY FOR THIS GUIDE… ?! ? DESPERADOES…

… THE GRAND AND YOU HAVE AN HE WANTS TO START OUT ABILENE!?! ABILENE! THE CATTLE TOWN, WHERE ALL DUKE HAS POLITI- IDEA OF A ROUTE IN KANSAS… ABILENE… THE DESPERADOES HOLE UP? ALL THE CAL ENEMIES… WE SHOULD TAKE? HE’S READ THAT IT’S A RIFFRAFF? AND YOU EXPECT ME TO WE FEAR VERY LIVELY TOWN… GUARANTEE YOUR ASSASSINATION GRAND DUKE’S ATTEMPTS… SAFETY? OUT OF THE QUESTION!

NO DOUBT YOU’RE RIGHT. SAY, YOU LIKE LET US PROCEED TO THE I WOULDN’T BEING A CIVIL IT’S A PAIN IN THE EMBASSY, WHERE WE’LL TURN DOWN SERVANT? NECK NOW AND THEN, TRY TO DISSUADE HIM… A CIGAR… BUT THERE’S THE JOB SECURITY TO CONSIDER.

5 TO THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY, GEORGE! TO THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY, JO LLY JUMPER!

A H! LUXY LUXY! POOM POOM!

I RECKON, MR SECRETARY OF STATE, THAT HIS HIGHNESS IS DESIRING TO KNOW THE IT’LL BE MIGHTY DIFFICULT TO DISSUADE THE FEDYA! PERIOD OF OUR FEDYA! STARTING. GENTLEMEN… THERE’S A TRAIN LEAVING FOR ABILENE IN ONE HOUR, EXCELLENCE…

6 TICK TOCK… TICK TOCK… TICK TOCK…

HIS HIGHNESS IS HMM… DESIRING TO KNOW OH! JOLLY THE FAMILY NAME JUMPER. OF YOUR HORSE- RADISH…

JUMPY JUMPY? HOHOHO! HIS HIGHNESS IS WISHING FOR GEORGE! UNHITCH THE LUXY LUXY, JUMPY JUMPY, HOHOHO! ME TO STATE THAT SHE FONDLY HORSES FROM THE HOPES TO MAKE HER WAY TO THE CARRIAGE. WE SHALL RAILWAY STATION BY HORSE- RETURN RADISH. ON FOOT.

YOU CAN JUST LEAVE THE THIS IS IT A PROMOTION? WE NEED TO THE HORSES IN FRONT OF THE CHANGES TO CHECK OUR CONTRACT. STATION. FAREWELL, GENTLEMEN! OUR JOB WILD WEST! GOOD LUCK, LUCKY GRADE. LUKE!

7 TICK TOCK… TICK TOCK… TICK TOCK… BADABOOOOM!

LATER, AT THE STATION IN WASHINGTON… I’VE LOADED IN THE CATTLE CAR. WE CAN BOARD, GENTLEMEN.

CHARLESTOWN, CHUG… CHUG… CHUG… LOUISVILLE, ST LOUIS, KANSAS CITY, AND ABILENE! ALL ABO-O-O-ARD!

IS ABILENE NOT OUR KIND OF TOWN. ACCENT? WHEN I STAY THERE TOO WHAT ACCENT? MOO. A NICE TOWN? LONG, I PICK UP THE ACCENT.

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