No 12324, Wednesday 23 May 2018, Arden

ACROSS
1   Overtake the animal in lead — end of Derby (4,2) PASS BY {P{ASS}B}{derbY}
4   Caught the wind, sick and bent over (8) BILLOWED {B{ILL}OWED}
9   Herb for head splitting pain (6) ORACHE {fOR}{ACHE}

10 Front exposed, minister's bang-on (8) ACCURATE {fACe}{CURATE}
12 Discharge the final assignment (8) EMISSION {thE}{MISSION}
13 I am a character, with bloated head (6) SETTER (-l+s)SETTER Not sure how L becomes S See comments
15 Animosity creates alarm — turning green in frigid conditions (12) BELLIGERENCY {BELL}{I{GREEN*}CY}
18 Dog sauntered around the fern (6,6) ADDERS TONGUE*

21 It's painful to see a girl embracing American soldier (6) ANGINA {AN{GI}NA}
22 I would get back eyesight in part (8) DIVISION {I'D<=}{VISION}
24 Deals with love, I'm good looking (8) HANDSOME {HANDS}{O}{ME}
25 Be angry with master in the boat (6) BIREME {B{IRE}{M}E}

26 Starts implementing government regulations in state — it's a headache (8) MIGRAINE {M{Im...g}{Go...t}{Re...s}AINE}
27 Abuses model riding fancy car (6) TROLLS {T}{ROLLS}

DOWN
1   Show starts repeating basically same axioms (8) PROVERBS {PROVE}{Re...g}{Ba...y}{Same}
2   Painless way to treat dogs (8) SPANIELS*
3   After Britain, one has a country supporting its language (6,9) BAHASA INDONESIA {B}{A}{HAS}{A} {INDONESIA} Thanks to Google
5   Winced and ran out a short distance (4) INCH flINCHed
6   Made up or real cover, in lieu of parts he played (8,7) LAURENCE OLIVIER {REAL+COVER+IN+LIEU}*
7   Artist enters with a ghost (6) WRAITH {W{RA}ITH}
8   Dull, back breaking duty, it’s heartless (6) DREARY {Du{REAR}tY}
11 Treasured by two men (7) COVETED {COVE}{TED}
14 Collector's drunk wine, he is terrible (7) BEASTIE {BE{ASTI}E}
16 Example of investment — in the beginning trade is what one strives for (3,5) EGO IDEAL {EG}{Of} {In...t}{DEAL}
17 Spite lands girl in trouble (8) MEANNESS {ME{ANNE}SS}
19 Disturbance keeps PM on edge (6) MAYHEM {MAY}{HEM}
20 Prod and the pain essentially shoots up — it's the drink (6) EGGNOG {EGG}{paiN}{GO<=} (Addendum - {EGG}{aGONy<=} - See comments)

23 Land covered from another direction (4) OMAN [T]

GRID

Bhargav's Talepiece

The bouncer and the dancer - Part 44

There is no place like home.

No man is an island.

Such PROVERBS would describe the peaceful life in and around Shangri-la.

EMISSION from fire places BILLOWED out of the chimneys in the cottages.

A rich resident who spoke BAHASA INDONESIA and had returned from distant OMAN had leased a portion of Shangri-la and set up a mini theater. Residents enjoyed movies like Rebecca, Pride and Prejudice featuring the then famous LAURENCE OLIVIER and pushed DREARY afternoons.

Persons like the Romanian and SS who showed their BELLIGERENCY were forgotten.

The bouncer's child was well taken care of by the nurse and had grown into a HANDSOME young baby.

And the person who COVETED this dream place was yet to arrive...

What happened next?