'The actual film isn't,' the Doctor explained, 'but this life form certainly appears to be. It has entwined itself with the film, embedded itself into its chemical structure. It's as if the creatures are clinging on to the very fabric of the film and moulding the appearance of the image in the frames as they see fit.'

'You mean the creatures are intelligent?' Ben wondered.

'Either that, or they're being controlled somehow. Maybe our reel is just as much a final cut as the one we saw at De Sande's, and it's these creatures that make it never the same film twice.'

'I...' The Doctor and Ben waited for Fletcher to finish his sentence, but the words never came.

'Interesting, eh, Detective?' the Doctor said as he pulled him away from the microscope. Fletcher looked startled, bewildered.

It was as if he was in a trance.

'Incredible,' was all he could say. 'When I... when I saw that, it was like... Everything I've ever wanted, all the power, all the control, everything. It all felt not just within my grasp but... I can't really explain it.'

'Let me try,' said the Doctor. 'When you look through that all your dreams are suddenly tangible. Everything you've ever wanted or hoped for seems to be present in that film and you get an overwhelming sense that this is the key to unleashing your potential, to fulfilling your destiny.'

Fletcher nodded. 'That's it. That's it exactly. Let me look at it again.'

He bent down to look through the microscope but the Doctor pulled him away before he could. 'I don't think that's a very good idea, do you? Whatever those creatures are, they want you to look. They're manipulating human emotions, driving you to support them in the belief that they are supporting you.'

'I looked through that lens and saw perfection.' Fletcher was staring into space, almost in a trance. 'How can I look at the world in the same way again?'

'That's only what the film wants you to think,' the Doctor reassured him. 'You'll get over it in time, no doubt, but it shows how powerful this thing is. If the police won't ban the film we need to find some other way of stopping its release. There's no doubt there's some form of life on that film that's capable of advanced psychic control. Whatever its purpose, we can't allow it to manipulate humanity like this.'

'But Doctor,' Ben said. 'What if humanity wants to be manipulated? Maybe these creatures will make life better for everyone.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'Ben, in my experience open benevolence rarely occurs without some kind of hidden agenda.

I wonder...'

He removed the film from under the microscope, wound it back into its reel and placed the lid back on the canister. After replacing the reel in his bag, he reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small glass vial. He looked around the lab for a cotton swab, found one, then unscrewed the vial lid and used the swab to dab some of the vial's contents on to a glass slide which he placed under the microscope lens.

He looked through the microscope, muttering to himself as he adjusted the magnification settings. 'Excellent,' he said, clearly very pleased with himself. 'Exactly as I suspected.'

He stood up and clasped his hands together, a thoughtful expression on his face. 'This is the first time I've had the chance to examine the blood sample I took from Mr Rochefort. That blood, too, appears to contain a life form almost identical in appearance to the ones we've just seen when we analysed the film frame. Whatever these creatures are they're part of the film, or at least this version of it, and they were part of Mr Rochefort's biology. All that remains to find out now is what these creatures are, who placed them in the film and why. How, and why, did they alter Rochefort's blood? Was he always like that and, if so, what was he? So many questions, but where to begin?'

'I say we go and find De Sande,' Ben suggested. 'Let's have words, give him a piece of our mind and tell him what we know.

He's the one behind all this. He's the one who'll know the truth.'

'No,' said the Doctor. 'Not yet. I'd quite like to see how things play out for a while. No one knows how much we've discovered. Let's play our cards close to our chest and not reveal our true hand until later in the game.'

'I think I'm going home,' Fletcher whispered. Ben wasn't used to hearing him speak with no aggressive undercurrent. 'I need a lie-down.'

The Doctor looked concerned. 'I think you're right. That film's affected you more than you realise.' He turned to Ben.

'How are you feeling?'

Ben gestured to Fletcher. 'Fair enough, I suppose. Is it OK if I take one last look at the film before we go?'

The Doctor shook his head and zipped up the sports bag.

'No, I don't think that would be very wise, do you? I don't think either of you looked at it long enough for it to have any lasting effect, but who knows what kind of hypnosis or brainwashing long-term exposure could cause. No, this film is staying in the bag. Whatever's going on, I can sense that it's evil.' His voice dropped to a cold whisper. 'And evil must be fought.'

Chapter Fifteen.

It was early morning, and a thin mist was in the air around Victory Van Owen Park. The Doctor and Ben sat on a bench at the edge of the park, watching the city slowly come to life. The traffic was getting heavier, lights were flickering on in houses as the world began to wake up and the distant noise of car radios started to drift through the air.

It was a peaceful time, although it still seemed chaotic and unfriendly compared to the joy Ben had felt while looking at the film last night.

'Danish pastry?' offered the Doctor. 'They're very good, although I don't think they're made in Denmark.'

Ben smiled and took one of the pastries from the packet. 'So how long do we have to sit here then?'

Another enigmatic grin spread across the Doctor's face. 'Oh, not long now, I would have thought. If Detective Fletcher wasn't mistaken about Wallis's daily routine, that is.'

After their visit to the labs, the detective had returned home to freshen up and get some sleep. He had told the Doctor he'd be in touch soon, but the Doctor had advised him to leave matters for the moment.

'Best to keep him clear for a while,' the Doctor had said. 'It's for his own safety.'

Ben glanced at his watch. Almost seven o'clock. 'I'm worried about Polly. She didn't go back to the hotel last night.'

The Doctor looked down at the large purple rose on his jacket lapel and sniffed it, then adjusted its petals. Ben had told him that it was out of place, that it looked like it should squirt water and made him look like even more of a clown than he usually did, but he hadn't listened. Not feeling remotely self-conscious, he'd told Ben that he needed to make sure people would see it, so Ben had let the subject drop.

The Doctor shoved the pastry packet into a nearby rubbish bin then brushed the crumbs off the front of his jacket. 'Oh, I shouldn't worry about her,' he said, waving his hand dismissively. 'She did leave a note, and she's certainly a resourceful girl. No doubt she made some friends in the bar or something. I'm sure she can look after herself, so we'll wait until tomorrow before sending out a search party, yes?'

Ben nodded in agreement, but in his heart he was still concerned for Polly's safety.

After several minutes, he spotted a figure emerging from the morning mist. A tall man marched decisively along the path that bisected the park, shoulders hunched and his right hand holding a long lead on the end of which was a small chihuahua. As the man got closer the Doctor stood up and began to walk towards him. Ben hurried to catch up with his friend and saw a look of total pain on the man's face.

'Good morning, Captain Wallis!' the Doctor said. 'What a surprise to see you here!'

'Doctor,' Wallis said, tipping his hat. He continued down the path without stopping, and the Doctor began to walk with him.

Ben stayed a few paces behind them, listening to their conversation but not wanting to get involved.

'I was wondering,' the Doctor said, 'if you could answer a couple of questions that have occurred to me over the last day or two.'

Wallis's despairing face showed that he was clearly not in the mood for dealing with the Doctor. 'If you need to speak to me make an appointment with my secretary.'

The Doctor moved in front of Wallis so that he was walking backwards and facing him.

Ben noticed the policeman's angry expression suddenly fall away to be replaced with a look of confusion as he saw the rose in the Doctor's lapel.

The Doctor smiled and sniffed the flower's aroma. 'Lovely things, roses. Don't you agree?' He spun round so that he walking forward again, and returned to his position by Wallfe's side. 'You're not part of the group,' Wallis said after a long pause, as if he had been considering his words carefully.

'No, but I'm doing my best. You see, Captain, we're both rather keen to join FOCAL ourselves and were hoping you might he able to arrange membership for us.'

'Don't be ridiculous. Now just go away, will you?' Wallis's voice rose slightly as his anger with the Doctor increased. 'We don't want you as a member.' His chihuahua barked as if in agreement and Ben noticed it growling at him, showing a disgusting row of biscuit-crumb-filled teeth.

'Are you sure?' the Doctor said. 'You see, I've learnt rather a lot about the organisation, hence my desire to join. More than is good for me, I shouldn't wonder.'

Heavy creases settled across Wallis's forehead as he squinted at the Doctor. 'What are you talking about?' he asked.

'Oh. I don't know,' the Doctor said loudly, spinning slightly as he walked like a child splashing through puddles. 'How about the Reitman murder? You know, the one that left your organisation rather better off than it had been before.'

'You don't still think Robert was innocent, do you?' Wallis said, fuming. 'Whether you like it or not, he's the goddamn killer. If you think he killed Reitman to help FOCAL... I can assure you there's no way he would have been allowed anywhere near the organisation while I walk this Earth. Now, Doctor, I've had enough of your ridiculous theories. Please, just leave me alone and let me walk my dog in peace!'

The Doctor shook his head. 'Actually, I don't think I will. At least not until you become more helpful.'

Wallis scowled. 'Do you want me to arrest you for harassing a police officer?'

'Oh no,' the Doctor said, as if refusing the last of the roast potatoes, 'that won't be necessary. All I want is for you to let Ben and myself join FOCAL.'

The expression on Wallis's face was priceless. 'You've no evidence of any wrongdoing, and even if you had you can't blackmail us into letting you join.'

The Doctor's face was an expression of hurt. 'I'm just trying to suggest ways in which our membership might he mutually beneficial. I've been doing my research and I think it sounds a fine organisation. If you really did have nothing to do with the murder, then you won't have anything to hide.'

'Leave me alone.'

'No.'

A stalemate silence. And then: 'OK, Doctor,' Wallis said with a heavy sigh. 'I'll tell you what, I'm meeting with my associates from the organisation this evening. I'll bring the subject up with the others and we'll see what they say. However, I'll only do this on one condition.'

The Doctor's interest was piqued. 'Oh?'

'That if your membership is turned down you make a promise never to come within fifty feet of me ever again.'

The Doctor smiled. 'If that's what it takes, Captain, then you have my word.'

Chapter Sixteen.

Dusk was setting in as the Doctor and Ben sat in the Doctor's rental car, parked a few doors away, and on the other side of the street, from Wallis's house.

'Is he ever going to leave?' Ben sighed. They'd been watching the house, for two hours since Wallis had returned from work and the cop still hadn't emerged. 'We could be looking for Polly, you know.'

'She's probably gone back to the hotel by now. Besides, I've left a message. She'll know what we're up to. I've asked Fletcher to keep an eye out for her, too. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine.'

Ben was about to argue when he heard the sound of a door slamming. He looked across the road to see Wallis leaving his house and marching down the driveway towards his car.

The Doctor and Ben instinctively ducked to make sure he couldn't see them then, as Wallis's car pulled away, the Doctor started his own vehicle and began a cautious pursuit.

'Keep your eyes open, Ben,' he said. 'We mustn't lose him, but we can't get too close in case he sees us and realises he's being followed.'

Wallis's journey through the Californian countryside seemed to take for ever. After they'd been travelling for over an hour Ben started to get restless.

'Are you sure this is right?' he wondered. 'Why hold a meeting so far away? Maybe the FOCAL thing's been cancelled, maybe he's made other plans.'

'Maybe,' said the Doctor, 'but I think it's more that they're trying to keep the meeting as secret as possible. We'll see, anyway.'

Eventually Wallis drove up a long path leading to a magnificent castle surrounded by palatial gardens, fountains and wildlife, then stopped his car.

'What is this place?' Ben wondered as the Doctor parked some distance back from Wallis, making sure they were safely concealed by the darkness.

The Doctor and Ben followed the policeman as he got out of his car and walked through an imposing archway at the front of the castle. They found themselves inside a luxuriously decorated entrance hall. The walls were made from stone in various pastel colours and were covered in elaborate classically styled marble and corniced architecture tinted with gold. Around the edges of the hall was a collection of statues, paintings and art treasures. Whoever owned this place certainly had a great deal of money.

They tried to keep back to conceal their presence, and followed Wallis as he walked through a side door off the hall that led to a large auditorium which looked as though it might once have been a theatre. Where there would have been seats there were now just deep-pile red carpets on which stood a crowd of people, presumably other members of FOCAL, enjoying food and drink from the tables scattered around the edges of the room. It looked as though there were about a hundred men and women, of various ages though Ben seemed to be one of the youngest among them. He and the Doctor tried to keep to the sides of the auditorium, staying in the shadows to make sure they weren't conspicuous.

'Well, well,' whispered the Doctor as he looked around, clearly impressed. 'Some of the most influential people in the motion picture industry are here it seems.'

'We'll stick out even more then,' Ben grumbled.

They walked towards one corner of the auditorium where a cluster of people appeared to be congregating. In the centre of the crowd stood Leonard De Sande, cigar in one hand and champagne glass in another.

'What's he doing here?' Ben wondered.

The Doctor cleared his throat then, much to the consternation of those around De Sande, pushed his way to the middle of the crowd and marched straight up to the director.