This grid records a quest that failed. Simulacra of the object sought are clued in italics, but they aren’t the real thing. Several clues have redundant words in them – these, we hear, in association with the unclued central answer, prove to be the names of the questers. The real thing is there, and its two components, contiguously placed at right angles and sharing a common letter, must be highlighted. One answer is a common French word.
ACROSS
1 View crowd round a Biblical kingdom (4)
4 Heroin’s presented with prize weed on plate (9)
12 Religious leader engaged in excellent form of reasoning (7, 2 words)
13 A twerp knocked over plant in bathroom (5)
14 Christmas Day in the workhouse (5,5)
18 Just found coat, first off (3)
19 British abandoning real concerns? Not them! (6)
21 Body cavity? Awful harpy’s nothing without one (7)
22 Wide jumper? Gosh! (5)
23 Oversexed man in trouble (base character) (4)
25 I mount sleigh surrounded by water (5)
27 See preamble (3)
28 Child covered in mineral pigment (5)
29 New cry over crewman (4)
30 Informer, carrying rinds, returns and sobs (5)
32 Insect off, readily carried by the wind? (7)
34 Dairy food – solver’s taking in a bit, ultimately (6)
36 Grand title, one held by Britain, on reflection (3)
39 Sound of old dog (5,5)
40 Shiny round parts of ships, seen from behind (5)
41 Legendary British King with a fantastically great line (7)
42 Solutions covering present curriculum features (9, 2 words)
43 Thirsty working in yard (4)
DOWN
1 Prayer-books amateur lifts, with cross on edge (8)
2 Nothing left – nothing – in European city (6)
3 “Tosh!” as Liberal rises (5)
5 Opera hero heading off for party (4)
6 Resistance anger – French cease to laugh (4)
7 Wind unpleasantly surrounds single article (9)
8 Fly round lake, following the sun (5)
9 Ghost whose sheet needs patching (5,5)
10 Top left off washday item more frequently (7)
11 Merit passing attention and a brief note (4)
15 Absolutely showing signs of age (6,4)
16 Disparage monarchy? Yard steps in (7, 2 words)
17 Early Americans accepting care of nut-trees (7)
20 Impertinence and a short skirt justifying scolding (9)
21 Charge Roman writer to work around home (5)
24 Knowing about least upset in holiday mood? (8)
26 Dry fruit – ices’ll get served up with one (7)
31 Piano prize, mostly in the 1930s? (6)
33 Runs? Knocking off 500 will secure trophy (5)
35 Sheath shows some bravado plus creativity (5)
36 British face question and lie (4)
37 Dutch paper bore name (4)
38 Historic journey initially reported in Observer (4)
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