{ THE CROSSWORDS }

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Unbeliever is at the assembly (7)

5 Having members carrying weapons (5)

8 Unimportant Arab chiefs, we hear (2,5,6)

9 Had the odour of fish (5)

10 Time taken by a secretary (7)

11 Catch ten out with a quick blow (6)

12 Indeed upset when refused (6)

15 The rain disturbed the lock-keeper (7)

17 As a guardian, he was fabulous (5)

19 Promising gardening correspondent? (7,6)

20 Fit sound project (5)

21 Imagined me in terror (7)

DOWN

1 She is a long time around the North (5)

2 He takes the lot (7,6)

3 Indolence shown in a rite, perhaps (7)

4 Carries about a thousand emblems (6)

5 Like a layer of wood (5)

6 What bees do when really busy? (4,6,3)

7 Retired from employment? (7)

11 Show part of the evidence in court (7)

13 Deliberate destruction of character, maybe (7)

14 Produced in a dramatic way (6)

16 One is disturbed by it (5)

18 She would pack a right in a scrap (5)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 A conifer (7)

5 A monastic superior (5)

8 Extensively (2,1,5,5)

9 Precipitous (5)

10 Radio aerial (7)

11 Good-humoured teasing (6)

12 Unequivocally (6)

15 Shakespearean tragedy (7)

17 Scottish poet (5)

19 Flimsy (13)

20 Conveniently near (5)

21 Administrator (7)

DOWN

1 Intersect (5)

2 Chance to be prosperous (5,2,3,3)

3 Model (7)

4 Remarkable (6)

5 Valuable attribute (5)

6 Group ideas-forming session (13)

7 Curative treatment (7)

11 Uncouth (7)

13 Middle East country (7)

14 A hand-beaten drum (3-3)

16 Foyer (5)

18 Of the sun (5)