'Mr De Sande!' the Doctor exclaimed, a broad grin on his face 'Surprise!'

De Sande's face whitened and he looked at him with an accusing stare. 'Doctor?' he said. 'What the hell are you doing here? Security!'

'That won't be necessary,' the Doctor reassured him. 'I'm not here to cause trouble. We just want to join FOCAL, that's all. Surely Captain Wallis told you we'd been asking to join?'

De Sande shook his head. 'He didn't say a word. I didn't think you two got on.'

The Doctor smiled. 'Well, perhaps that's why he didn't mention it.'

A puzzled smile crossed De Sande's face. 'I wish I could believe you, Doctor.'

'De Sande,' the Doctor insisted, 'you made the film, you know of its power better than anyone. Please, we've seen the film. We can see how important it is, how it's going to lead to the start of something rather special indeed. All we want is to be a part of that. To be a part of the future.'

Having temporarily excused himself from the Doctor's company, De Sande hurried over to a corner of the auditorium where Wallis stood speaking to one of the other guests.

'Charles,' De Sande said. 'Have you seen who's here?'

Wallis shook his head. 'Evening, Leonard. Who are you talking about?'

De Sande pointed to the centre of the auditorium where the Doctor and Ben were waiting. 'There. They claim you said you'd look into letting them join.'

'My God,' Wallis said, his face white. 'I'll kill them.'

'Relax,' said De Sande, trying to reassure his friend. 'Best to have them where we can keep an eye on them, eh? If they want to be Initiates, let them. Once they're partnered with then creatures we'll have full control over them. We'll be able to keep track of them at all times, making sure they do nothing to jeopardise the plan.'

Wallis shook his head. 'I don't like this idea, Leonard. I really don't like it.'

De Sande smiled. 'Relax. It'll be fine.'

Wallis shook his head again and stormed off. 'I need to phone the station to check on things. I'll speak to you later.'

'Where did De Sande go?' Ben wondered, looking around the auditorium.

'I'm here,' De Sande said, tapping Ben on the shoulder. He turned to the Doctor and a resigned smile crossed his face. 'I've made a decision. While turning up here unannounced is not exactly approved of, you're here now and there's very little we can do about it. So I've decided we might as well let you join.

You have a keen mind. Maybe you could be benefit from our teachings.'

The Doctor smiled. 'Thank you, Mr De Sande. I'm sure we will gain a great deal from being members.' He pointed to a group of robed figures near De Sande. 'So tell me, who are your friends?'

'FOCAL is a charitable organisation,' the director explained, 'but it's also a religious one. While not a religion in ourselves, we have certain beliefs about the universe, about the way life works, and about how we should live, and these honourable people have dedicated their lives to making sure we stick to the rules we've made for ourselves.'

'Well, I'm very pleased to meet you,' the Doctor said to De Sande's friends. They nodded their hood-concealed heads before stepping back into the shadows of the room.

De Sande smiled. 'Now, before we begin the Initiation I must introduce you to Brother Reinert. He's a great teacher and will explain more about our beliefs and answer any questions you may have on our faith. We have a small group of monks from various orders working in the castle. Between them they formed our belief system and are living here until our work is complete. FOCAL was created from a collusion of minds, monks and money, and without any of us trying we've reached a stage where we're almost ready to stop hiding.. to end our secrecy. The monks are helping us prepare for that day, as you'll see shortly.'

De Sande led the Doctor and Ben over to one wall of the auditorium where gold-framed paintings in a long line were being observed by various members of the crowd. He walked up to a short old man with a shaved crop of white hair and a long, sloping face who was standing peacefully in front of one of the paintings, a flickering candle held in front of his flowing red robes.

'Brother Reinert?' De Sande said gently. 'I'd like you to meet the Doctor and Ben. They're going to be initiated tonight.'

The old man turned to the Doctor and smiled. 'I can see,' he said. 'I can see all sorts of turmoil and torment within your eyes.'

He raised a hand so that its palm was facing towards the Doctor.

'Be at peace,' he whispered. 'You're amongst friends now.'

'Why thank you,' the Doctor said in a bemused tone. 'It's a pleasure to meet you too.'

'Brother Reinert is our spiritual leader,' De Sande explained.

'He'll try to encourage you to stick to a very defined system of morals and values. I suppose you could say it's less of a religion and more the promotion of a guideline which, if followed, will lead an individual to enjoy a more satisfying life. FOCAL started out in the 1890s as an organisation dedicated to raising money for the less privileged, and it is that spirit, along with the other beliefs of our founders, that Brother Reinert makes sure we never forget. These beliefs are what makes FOCAL what it is, and I hope that once you learn more about them you two will find it easy to adopt our ways for yourselves.'

'We have some time before the ceremony,' Brother Reinert said. 'Would you two like a quick tour of the castle?' He glanced over to De Sande, who nodded his head in endorsement.

'That sounds wonderful,' the Doctor said. 'Thank you.'

Reinert looked up at the painting, placed the candle he was holding in front of it, then bowed his head in prayer before marching towards a door at the side of the auditorium. 'Come along then,' he called back. 'We haven't got all night.'

The door had led to a small library, and at the end of that Ben had expected to find a chapel, or a museum, or something else consistent with what they had seen so far.

Instead they came to a vast cavern carved out of rock.

Stalactites pointed precariously at them and the sound of distant rainwater echoed around the cave. The door from the library led on to a dangerous flight of stone steps that appeared to have been carved out of the rock. An unsafe-looking metal handrail was all that prevented anyone who slipped on the steps from meeting an early grave at the bottom of the cavern.

'After you,' the Doctor said politely to Reinert, gesturing for the old man to step forward. Reinert did so, then reached for one of the fire torches on the wall of the cavern.

'That's a bit OTT isn't it?' Ben said. 'I'm sure De Sande will have a proper flashlight in there if you ask him nicely.'

Reinert put his index finger on his lip to quieten him. 'I take fire down here because everyone who has ever been down here has taken fire. It may give us light, but it also keeps us safe and keeps us warm. A flashlight would only give light.' Fair enough, thought Ben.

Reinert slowly began to make his way down the stairs and the Doctor and Ben followed cautiously behind him.

Although it hadn't been visible from the top of the steps, as the party descended deeper into the cavern it became clear that the cave contained another chamber in its walls.

'In here,' Reinert said, leading them into the chamber. It had been carved out of the rock and exotic rugs were scattered across the floor to cover the cold stone underneath. The room was lined with more fantastic paintings and statues. De Sande's Private collection, Ben assumed. They must have been a nightmare to move down here.

'All fakes,' the Doctor whispered, a conspiratorial smile on his face.

'Through here are the screening rooms,' Reinert said. 'They actually connect to a storage hut in the car park, and most of the people who visit access them through that rather than the more precarious route we just took. I prefer to go this way round, though, as we are not only shielded from the elements but also get the chance to gaze at the magnificent beauty of the inside of the hill this castle has been built on.'

'I hadn't heard of any castles in California,' sighed Ben.

Brother Reinert had a twinkle in his eye. 'We try not to publicise this place's existence too much. FOCAL values its privacy, and we have to respect Mr De Sande's wishes. If he hadn't stepped in a couple of years ago when we were going through some rather serious financial trouble I doubt we'd still be here today, so the very least we can do is respect his wishes.

Mr De Sande and the other chosen leaders want FOCAL to step into the public limelight soon, to convert as many people as possible to the Way of Light.'

'Ah yes,' the Doctor said. 'The Way of Light. I must say I'm rather keen to learn more about that.'

'It's the path we try to encourage all our members to follow.

We don't give our organisation a formal religious name beyond "the Friends", but we have given a name to our doctrine. Learn about the horror in the world, learn what causes it, then turn your back on those causes and light will fill your soul. That, Doctor, is the Way of Light. You really should try to follow it, you know. You can't imagine how it can enrich a life.'

'So it seems,' the Doctor said. 'You certainly have a lot of supporters.'

Brother Reinert walked over to a small wooden door, then took a large iron key from his robes and slid it into the keyhole.

A lock clicked and the door creaked open. Reinert stepped through, the Doctor and Ben following.

The familiar juddering sound of a film projector filled the dark room. It was a tiny cinema with five rows of seats facing a small screen. In the seats sat a group of children, and enough light from the projector reflected off the screen on to their faces for Ben to see that most of them were watching the film with their mouths wide open, enchanted by the spectacle before them.

'What are they watching?' whispered the Doctor.

Brother Reinert pointed to the screen. A woman was running along a beach, images, apparently in her mind, flashing on to the screen. A recap of her life, passing before her eyes. An image of her stroking a pet Labrador, an image of her being beaten by a man with tears streaming down his face, an image of her swimming in bank notes. The final image appeared and it was of her standing helplessly as her belongings were repossessed. A newspaper headline, DEPRESSION HITS, was superimposed over the woman lying on her porch in tears, a knife hovering above her wrists. The film then cut back to her standing alone on the beach. She smiled, walked off into a sunset, then the credits rolled.

The lights in the room went up and a monk who had been chaperoning the children began telling them to behave as they stood up.

'What was that all about?' Ben asked, as the monk led the children out of the screening room.

'I believe it's about education,' the Doctor said.

Reinert looked impressed. 'Go on,' he said.

'Your beliefs are based around light, and around hope springing from sadness, are they not?'

Reinert nodded. 'Indeed. We believe that for every period of sadness the human soul endures it will eventually experience an equal amount of happiness. However, if a person brings that happiness on themselves, they will experience twice as much sadness. We believe death, destruction and pain are good things, for through them comes repentance, an understanding of oneself and a closeness to the Way of Light a purity of soul that will let any person be freed from worry.'

'And this is what you're indoctrinating those kids with?'

asked Ben.

'No,' said Reinert. 'We take the most gifted and mature children from local schools and screen films they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see. That picture you saw just then about the woman who had everything, lost it, then realised she was happier than money had ever made her, was made by one of our members. It's a classic, and I guarantee every child in there came out of the experience richer. If it wasn't for us, all they would ever be shown would be Bambi Bambi. If they take a message from the film, then all the better, but we're mainly doing it just to give them something to think about.'

'But why?' the Doctor said. 'Why go to so much trouble?'

Brother Reinert looked confused, as if the Doctor had just asked a ridiculous question. 'Because we want people to find peace in themselves of course, we want them to find the Way of Light. We want to help them.'

'And you do so by spreading your message through movies,'

the Doctor said, his index finger tapping his bottom lip. 'How interesting. I do hope we're not giving those children nightmares.'

Reinert began to lead the Doctor and Ben back the way they had come, up the long stone staircase that led back to the auditorium.

'Doctor,' Reinert said. 'The films may contain large amounts of terror and unpleasantness, but the end message is always positive and we would never show the children anything unsuitable. If any child is upset they are sent straight home. We care, and we're only trying to help, after all. If they're not enjoying the experience, there's really no point in us wasting our funds on them. No, everyone who comes here does so voluntarily, and most of the children appreciate the benefits they get from the experience.'

'I see,' the Doctor said. 'So, out of interest, would you let them watch Dying in the Sun Dying in the Sun?'

Reinert shook his head. 'No, that's different. A simple reel of film like most pictures our members make is fair enough, but Mr De Sande's latest opus. . It's so realistic, so vivid. Such a perfect vehicle for our message that I don't think the children are quite ready for it.'

'Very wise,' said the Doctor. 'Though I hope they're not missing out. It's such a marvellous picture.'

Reinert smiled at the Doctor's words. 'Everyone here is very pleased with Dying in the Sun Dying in the Sun. It's been a most satisfactory project.'

'So it's basically a propaganda film for our organisation?'

Ben asked.

Reinert shook his head. 'I wouldn't say propaganda, just that it encourages the sort of approach to life that we endorse. If people follow the lifestyle encouraged by the film, their lives will no doubt be enriched beyond their imaginations. This film will improve more lives than any other motion picture in history, mark my words.'

The Doctor nodded. 'It works on so many levels, too.

Technologically alone, it's something of a marvel. I don't suppose you know how they did some of those effects, do you?'

Reinert shook his head. 'I simply provided spiritual guidance to Paul Roth while he was writing the script, then gave my feedback on the finished film. I'm afraid religion, not technology, is my forte.'

'Well, that's everything I think,' he said as they reached the top of the stairs. 'If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.' 'Thank you,' the Doctor said, shaking Reinert's hand. 'It has been a most fascinating tour.'

He and Ben walked back into the main room.

'Excuse me,' the Doctor said to a bored-looking waiter who was standing in a corner holding a drinks tray. 'Have you seen Paul Roth around, perchance?'

The waiter nodded and pointed him in the direction of a scrawny little man with scruffy straw-coloured hair and tiny round glasses that perched precariously on the end of his long, beaky nose. The man was on his own and seemed to be scrutinising a pile of bread rolls on a table, trying to decide whether to take one or not. The Doctor hurried over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

'Mr Roth?' he said as the man turned round. 'I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might have a few words. I'm the Doctor, I'm new here.'

At first Roth looked confused, and then a flash of recognition crossed his face and he smiled slightly. 'Oh yes, the Initiates. How are you finding things tonight?'

'Oh very good, very good. Tell me, is it true you're the writer of Dying in the Sun Dying in the Sun?'

Roth waved a hand in the Doctor's direction in a gesture of false modesty. 'I am, yes,' he said. 'Have you seen it yet?'