Leela fell silent. I wondered if she had gone as quietly as she came.

Probably not. I had a feeling she was there not to argue with Richards as much as to protect me from her wrath. But Leela had made a telling point. Life was what was important. I had life. How much of it had I wasted on guilt for a death that had not occurred?

I began to get to my feet. I was cold and my legs were getting cramped. I needed to take a few paces to restore the circulation. As I moved so did Richards. She moved towards me, as if to help me rise.

Leela spoke at the same time, her voice even harsher than before.

'Hear me, Richards. Put down the knife. Attempt to take Stock wood's life and you will lose your own.'

Richards froze. So did I, half risen from the ground. The starlight painted us all in a dim tableau.

And I saw the knife Richards was holding. Had been holding, I now realised, all the while.

'You were going to kill me?'

Richards's voice cracked with emotion. 'I promised you that much.

Your pet animal saved you this time. But she won't always be around.' Richards turned and walked away from us across the crater.

I thought I heard sobs as she went. They, at least, must be genuine.

Leela helped me to my feet and we watched her go.

'I can't believe she had a knife on me the whole time.'

'I would not have let her kill you.'

I kicked frustrated at some loose rocks. 'But don't you think she is right? Don't you think I deserve to die?'

'No.' Her response was stark, immediate, completed by a single qualification. 'If I thought that I would kill you myself.'

My face tried for a smile without my permission. 'You are a strange woman, Leela.'

'Why?'

I hesitated. 'That wasn't the answer I expected.'

'You should expect the unexpected. That way you will live longer.'

'I suppose so.' I looked up at the stars. They were clear and bright, no hint of cloud shadow. The moon had dipped beneath the hills It seemed that we alone existed in all of s.p.a.ce and all of time. For a moment I found myself imagining a set of cosmic scales. One where Alex weighed in for Death and Leela contributed her ma.s.s to Life, and the stars above coldly observed the difference. Where did that leave me? A symbol for humanity, caught, as ever, in the brief moment of balance? A child species brimful of speculations and tribulations, fears, hopes and dreams, for ever changed by the moment of observation? I did not know. But I might learn. If I took the control about which Leela spoke. If I added my weight to Life and abandoned my friend a final time to Death. It was a decision I could not make immediately. I opted for an interim step. 'Tell me what happened in the attack.'

'I would rather kill Richards.'

'Leave her. She won't hurt anyone.'

'If an animal has gone mad you must kill it before it kills you.'

'She's not mad. Only with grief.'

'She is right, Stockwood. You do not understand her.'

I sighed. 'Don't you all gang up on me. Tell me about the attack.'

'We took one of their ships. Two were destroyed. The rest escaped.'

'Four against two. That's better odds than before, anyway.'

'You are wrong. The ship we captured was badly damaged by cannon fire. And Tweed has no weapons. Captain Stuart is transferring some of the undamaged cannon to his ship now in case DaBraisse comes back.'

'DaBraisse?'

'The pirate leader. He got away.'

'Hogwash anyone else hurt?'

Now it was Leela's turn to hesitate. 'Royston was injured saving my life. I did not trust him I was wrong. The Doctor is with him now, trying to save his life.'

I felt the ground lurch beneath my feet. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'I have told you now.'

'I have to go to him.'

'There is nothing you can do.'

'I can pray.'

I found the Doctor and Royston in the village, in a hut, surrounded by islanders and a few squawking chickens. My friend lay on a bed of gra.s.s, bare to the waist so the Doctor could examine his wound. It did not look bad: a thin strip of inflamed flesh with a slit in the middle of it.

But it ran deeply into his side. When he breathed I heard a faint gurgle.

There was blood in his lungs. His brow was fevered, his skin waxy.

Though unconscious, he jerked and thrashed. A number of islanders held him to the ground.

The Doctor straightened from his examination. 'It's not good news, I'm afraid. The wound is deep. The lungs have been penetrated. And there was some poison involved.'

'Can you save him?'

The Doctor hesitated. 'I'm sorry, Horace. The most I can do is make him comfortable. It won't be for long.'

'I don't believe you! I saw you shot in the chest! You healed yourself, now heal my friend!'

The Doctor spread his hands sorrowfully. 'Horace, listen to me carefully. I was not born on this world. The technique I used on myself owes part of its effectiveness to that and part to a three-hundred-year-old Tibetan philosophy in which I am but a novice I cannot save your friend.'

I felt anger inflame me. 'You speak of aliens and three hundred-year-old monks and my friend is dying! You mock me, sir! I will not have it!'

I ran forward and aimed a punch at the Doctor. Leela caught my arm before the movement was half over. 'Listen to his words. He speaks the truth.'

'His words are nonsense.'

The Doctor took Leela by the shoulders and gently moved her aside.

He took my head and laid it against his chest. 'Listen.' I struggled. His grip allowed no movement.

'Do you hear the heartbeat?'

'Yes! Now let me -'

He moved my head to the other side of his chest. 'Tell me what you hear!'

I froze. It was impossible. My mind reeled. 'I hear... another... it's impossible!'

He let me go. 'Listen to me, Stockwood. If there was a way I could use one of my hearts to save your friend I would. This is not fantasy. I cannot save him. I am sorry.'

I stuttered something, I do not remember the words. I felt my mind reeling. Too much. It was too much. The shock. I felt my heart hammer in my chest. I heard the thump of blood in my ears. My eyes saw nothing but whirling shapes. I struggled for breath.

'I know how to save him.'

The words were like a slap, a bucket of icy water across my face. I turned. Facing me was the woman who had recognised me. The woman who had killed Alex. 'Get her away from me! I'll kill her! I swear I'll -'

I lurched forward towards the woman I felt hands grab me. In truth it did not take many to hold me fast.

The Doctor spoke softly. 'I think you'd better explain, Atani.' The woman gazed peculiarly at the Doctor, her eyes moving from one side of his chest to the other. I thought about the double heartbeat I had heard and was silent. 'If you want to save your friend take him to Vai-tarakai-ua - the moai moai in the elder's cave, the Cave of the Sun's Inclination.' in the elder's cave, the Cave of the Sun's Inclination.'

Leela said scathingly, 'How can a statue save Royston?'

'Stockwood took the rongo-rongo rongo-rongo from us. Now he is returned. Take Royston to the cave and speak the healing prayer inscribed on the from us. Now he is returned. Take Royston to the cave and speak the healing prayer inscribed on the rongo-rongo rongo-rongo and Vai-tarakai-ua will save him.' The woman turned to leave, then looked back and added one more thing. 'It has been many, many years since the and Vai-tarakai-ua will save him.' The woman turned to leave, then looked back and added one more thing. 'It has been many, many years since the moai moai have walked on this land - now the have walked on this land - now the rongo-rongo rongo-rongo has returned, perhaps they will walk again. Then the sun will shine in the night and the dead will live again. And we may go to join our ancestors.' Atani pushed through the villagers and out of the hut. has returned, perhaps they will walk again. Then the sun will shine in the night and the dead will live again. And we may go to join our ancestors.' Atani pushed through the villagers and out of the hut.

For a moment there was silence.

'This is sheer nonsense!' I spluttered.

The Doctor glanced at me. 'I thought you were a scientist. An anthropologist. Do you never listen to the people you study?'

I fell silent, ashamed. He waited for a reply. 'Of course.'

'Then let's listen to what she said.' The Doctor turned to Topeno, standing nearby wearing an angry expression. 'Is there truth in Atari's words?'

Topeno frowned. 'She is old. Age does not always bring wisdom.'

'Don't avoid the question. I didn't ask if she was wise, I asked if she spoke the truth.'

Topeno licked his lips. Others among the islanders were stirring, their voices muttering uneasily. 'Once her words would have been truth.'

The Doctor nodded. He began to mumble to himself. 'Moai 'Moai Fluctuating ma.s.s. Fluctuating ma.s.s. Rongo-rongo. Rongo-rongo. Missing. Returned. Once she would have spoken the truth. Spoken. Speaking. Speak the prayer of healing.' He nodded. 'We have to get Royston to the Cave of the Sun's Inclination. Now!' Missing. Returned. Once she would have spoken the truth. Spoken. Speaking. Speak the prayer of healing.' He nodded. 'We have to get Royston to the Cave of the Sun's Inclination. Now!'

The Doctor scooped my friend off the mat of gra.s.s on which he lay as if he were a child. 'Topeno.' It was not a request. The islander led us from the village.

'And you, Stockwood.'

Leela in tow, I followed the little entourage along a path from the village into the hills. There we descended into a small cave, the Doctor still managing to carry James even though he was bent almost double.

Minutes pa.s.sed in dusty silence. Then we emerged into a s.p.a.ce I could tell from the echoes was very large. Islanders lit torches. And I gaped in astonishment. The cave was huge -perhaps a hundred yards high and twice that wide. Every piece of rock was covered with painted inscriptions and diagrams. There were figures of birds and men and the curious bird-man hybrid that had captured my attention so thoroughly on my first visit. But the object to which my gaze was inexorably drawn was a - - this one fully twice the height of the others I had seen, which completely filled the middle of the cave. Its monolithic features gleamed dead black in the torchlight, with no hint of tools or markings to show how it was made. The red cap upon its head sc.r.a.ped the roof of the cave. Its eyes, darkened by shadows thrown up from the high cheeks, seemed to glare arrogantly around the cave, to fasten with undeniable eagerness upon my own. this one fully twice the height of the others I had seen, which completely filled the middle of the cave. Its monolithic features gleamed dead black in the torchlight, with no hint of tools or markings to show how it was made. The red cap upon its head sc.r.a.ped the roof of the cave. Its eyes, darkened by shadows thrown up from the high cheeks, seemed to glare arrogantly around the cave, to fasten with undeniable eagerness upon my own.

I remembered to breathe.

'Vai-tarakai-ua.' The name was no more than a breath of sound from Topeno's lips. The islanders knelt before the monolith. The Doctor laid Royston at the place where its chest entered the ground. He cast a quick glance across the planes and angles of the metal face. 'Not so much a G.o.d as a voice-activated computer.'

'A what?'

'Never mind. Give me the rongo-rongo.' rongo-rongo.'

'The tablet?' I felt a cold sensation rush across my stomach. 'I thought you knew. Richards took it from me shortly after we left Portsmouth. I don't have it.'

The Doctor stared at me impatiently. 'We only need the inscription.

Can you remember it?'

'No.' I reached into my pocket. 'But I took a rubbing. It's a few years old now and it may not be accurate but -'

The Doctor s.n.a.t.c.hed the paper from me and smoothed it out. He turned to Topeno. 'Can you read this?'

Topeno studied the paper. 'Of course.'

'Then please do so now.'

Topeno hesitated. 'There are rituals. We must observe the proper respect for Vai-tarakai-ua.'

The Doctor sighed. 'Listen.'

We did so. Even deep underground we could hear the distant thunder of cannon. DaBraisse. The pirates had returned - and renewed their attack.

'Computers do not require respect. If we wait Royston will die. Now read the inscription.'

Still Topeno hesitated. The Doctor sighed. 'Horace, Leela, come here and hold Royston. Topeno, give me that rubbing.'

Leela and I moved forward and took hold of James. The Doctor took the rubbing from Topeno.

'I didn't know you could read Polynesian.'

'It's not Polynesian.' The Doctor began to read.

The sound of cannon fire increased. Topeno and the islanders fled the cave. I heard the clash of steel and the discharge of pistols. Screams. I felt Royston stir beneath my hands.