TELEGRAPH CROSSWORDS

Across

1 Mercury’s counterpart, some other messenger (6) 5 In brownish-red, a cold biscuit (8) 9 Model iron horse, about ton, powerful beast (10) 10 One side remaining (4) 11 Loyal butler set out to get European Union backing (4-4) 12 Horse drinks in seawater (6) 13 Repeat filling in multiple choice (4) 15 Genius – mug following one abroad (8) 18 Squid caught malaria at sea! (8) 19 Travel beyond a river to get legendary vessel (4) 21 Typo, say, students recalled (4-2) 23 Figure heading for ruin, one in mess (8) 25 Lead sulphate’s beginning to encounter dark liquid (4) 26 Use marker pen here: wet biro had burst (10) 27 Study new careers with minimum of hope (8) 28 More orderly, I had to get in line (6)

Down

2 Queen rings the number (5) 3 Jerk mentions a US state (9) 4 Island first to strike in hostile manner (6) 5 Actress having edited line, re-edit in protest (7,8) 6 Adhesive holds as window opening sideways (8) 7 Instrument for measuring sovereign? (5) 8 Unsatisfactory finale causing displeasure (9) 14 King almost finished eating extravagant dessert (9) 16 Unfortunately on trial, commercial travellers, the lot of them! (9) 17 Staff machine that cuts round article on page (8) 20 Still, lift is fast (6) 22 Shilling in spotless little bag (5) 24 Massive lobsters, and raw gulper eels for starters (5)