Distantly, Sam became aware of a bell chiming.

The cloister bell.

That's all I need, she thought.

'I wasn't going to leave Kitig to die,' she said stubbornly. 'It was the only moral choice to make.'

But the Doctor wasn't listening. He was staring at the console. The time rotor had stopped moving, and one by one the screens were going blank.

'We're too late,' he muttered. 'The tide's come in.'

BOOK THREE.

The alien seemed less like a corpse now. His figure was still skeletal, but the glucose solution had brought a faint echo of colour to his skin, and the semblance of life to his eyes. Mauvril wondered if this was going to make it harder after she had colour to his skin, and the semblance of life to his eyes. Mauvril wondered if this was going to make it harder after she had finished her confession; because she knew that she was still going to have to kill him. finished her confession; because she knew that she was still going to have to kill him.

She met his eyes, knew he saw the truth in her gaze.

Her future. His future. All of the futures, or lack of them.

The lack of choices.

'You've got to understand,' she muttered.

He nodded. 'Go on with your story.'

She looked away, marshalled her thoughts for a moment, then went on.

'I don't know how long I hid in the forest. The sounds of explosions almost deafened me. The ground shook. There was a terrible, hot, metal-scented wind, and the trees thrashed about like demons. One nearly fell on me. After that, it was dark, and almost silent, apart from distant rumblings echoing from the hills. The air smelled of burning, and gradually filled with ash almost silent, apart from distant rumblings echoing from the hills. The air smelled of burning, and gradually filled with ash and dust, until I found it hard to breathe. and dust, until I found it hard to breathe.

'At last, a weak, grey dawn light began to show through the damaged tree tops. I found my way back to the farm, staying away from the paths, wading instead through crumpled brush grass thick with grey dust. My eyes watered, my lungs away from the paths, wading instead through crumpled brush grass thick with grey dust. My eyes watered, my lungs wheezed: by the time I reached the edge of the forest I was dizzy and exhausted, and confused enough to carry on walking, wheezed: by the time I reached the edge of the forest I was dizzy and exhausted, and confused enough to carry on walking, out into the ashen ground, until the heat began to burn the skin above my hooves. out into the ashen ground, until the heat began to burn the skin above my hooves.

'Then I realised. The farm wasn't there any more.

'In fact, I wasn't even at the edge of the forest. The black, smouldering stumps of trees told me that, and the slope of the land was wrong, rising instead of falling. The air was blurred with smoke and dust and it wavered in the heat, making grey land was wrong, rising instead of falling. The air was blurred with smoke and dust and it wavered in the heat, making grey illusions jump in the distance. I began to think that it wasn't just the farm, that the whole world was gone, replaced by this illusions jump in the distance. I began to think that it wasn't just the farm, that the whole world was gone, replaced by this burning plain. burning plain.

'I staggered back into the forest. This time I didn't stop walking until I dropped.

'When I woke up I was cold and thirsty. I found a stream, and drank, though the water tasted of ash. Then I walked through the dense trees, following the stream up, with some idea that it might be better in the hills. Eventually I came to a through the dense trees, following the stream up, with some idea that it might be better in the hills. Eventually I came to a path, and started to recognise the country. I realised that I was near Daranos, the next village along the white road from path, and started to recognise the country. I realised that I was near Daranos, the next village along the white road from Tafalis. Tafalis.

'There wasn't much ash now, though I could still smell burning. The patches of sky that I could see through the trees were strange grey and hazy with smoke. But there was some weak sunlight, and it was getting warmer. I began to feel were strange grey and hazy with smoke. But there was some weak sunlight, and it was getting warmer. I began to feel some kind of hope. Perhaps there was a limit to the disaster. When I saw the village, glimpses of sunlit stone through the some kind of hope. Perhaps there was a limit to the disaster. When I saw the village, glimpses of sunlit stone through the trees, I felt a surge of joy. trees, I felt a surge of joy.

'But Daranos was dead, of course. You know the story, I expect, without my telling it: the melted stone of the houses, the potholed roads, the chemical reek of alien explosives. You've seen it so many times. But it was new to me then, and these potholed roads, the chemical reek of alien explosives. You've seen it so many times. But it was new to me then, and these were my people. You have to remember, too, that we were a peaceful race, for the most part. Physical conflict was rare, were my people. You have to remember, too, that we were a peaceful race, for the most part. Physical conflict was rare, murder was unheard of. I almost died there in Daranos, from the sheer agony of what I saw. Orange insects crawled over murder was unheard of. I almost died there in Daranos, from the sheer agony of what I saw. Orange insects crawled over dead eyes of the villagers, in and out of dead mouths. Charred bones projected from the remnants of flesh. There wasn't dead eyes of the villagers, in and out of dead mouths. Charred bones projected from the remnants of flesh. There wasn't much blood: most alien weapons burn rather than cut. But there were some who seemed to have been beaten to death, in much blood: most alien weapons burn rather than cut. But there were some who seemed to have been beaten to death, in what I now realise, looking back, can only have been the exercise of gratuitous cruelty. what I now realise, looking back, can only have been the exercise of gratuitous cruelty.

'I wandered from house to house, saw the burnt heap of rubble that had been the temple. I thought of Pakip, of Larnaj and their baby, and I knew for certain then that they, too, were dead. I didn't know why it had happened. I didn't even really and their baby, and I knew for certain then that they, too, were dead. I didn't know why it had happened. I didn't even really know that there had been an invasion I simply didn't think of it that way, you see. Everything since I had seen the vast know that there had been an invasion I simply didn't think of it that way, you see. Everything since I had seen the vast alien ship appear over Tafalis was confused in my mind: if someone had asked me whether there was one kind of alien, or alien ship appear over Tafalis was confused in my mind: if someone had asked me whether there was one kind of alien, or two, or whether they were attacking us, or helping us against some great natural disaster, I couldn't have answered. My two, or whether they were attacking us, or helping us against some great natural disaster, I couldn't have answered. My mind was paralysed, unable to reach even the most elementary conclusions about what had happened to my world. mind was paralysed, unable to reach even the most elementary conclusions about what had happened to my world.

'Eventually I found myself walking towards the village well, drawn by the smell of fresh water. I heard a movement, turned, and saw a black-carapaced alien walking towards me, the band of plastic that augmented its eyes glowing an turned, and saw a black-carapaced alien walking towards me, the band of plastic that augmented its eyes glowing an uneven red. It was clearly hurt: its gait was unsteady on its two legs; its breath rattled in its throat. It must have been uneven red. It was clearly hurt: its gait was unsteady on its two legs; its breath rattled in its throat. It must have been injured in the attack on the village; why it had been left behind by the others I don't know. injured in the attack on the village; why it had been left behind by the others I don't know.

'My first instinct was to help. As I've said, I really didn't understand what was happening. Even if I had, I don't think I'd have thought any differently. There hadn't yet been time for the outer shock to work its way inside me and change the habits have thought any differently. There hadn't yet been time for the outer shock to work its way inside me and change the habits of a lifetime. of a lifetime.

'So I stepped forward and offered to fetch water from the well. I remember thinking that if l helped the alien perhaps it would be grateful. Perhaps we could talk. Perhaps I could find some way of understanding why the people in Daranos were would be grateful. Perhaps we could talk. Perhaps I could find some way of understanding why the people in Daranos were dead, and what had happened to Tafalis, and to my farm and my family. dead, and what had happened to Tafalis, and to my farm and my family.

'The black-carapaced beast raised a glittering object in its hand and spoke, its voice little more than an animal growl. I couldn't understand the words it wasn't until much later, when I found out about the combat drugs that the aliens used, couldn't understand the words it wasn't until much later, when I found out about the combat drugs that the aliens used, that I realised they probably hadn't made sense anyway. that I realised they probably hadn't made sense anyway.

'Anyway, the alien shot me, but because it was dying, or perhaps because the targeting systems fitted to its eyes were damaged, it missed, burning my legs instead of killing me. damaged, it missed, burning my legs instead of killing me.

'Instinctively, I jumped clear. The alien turned the gun round for another shot, and this time the movement was more definite, more controlled. Dying or not, I think it would have killed me the second time. Fortunately I didn't give it the definite, more controlled. Dying or not, I think it would have killed me the second time. Fortunately I didn't give it the chance: I jumped forward, kicked out. chance: I jumped forward, kicked out.

'I only meant to knock the gun out of its hand, but my aim wasn't too good either: in my panic I killed it.

'You have to understand how terrible this was for me, then. I had killed a living being, terminated the development of a mind; in our culture, nothing justified such a sin. I remember watching the blood leaking from the alien's mouth. I took the mind; in our culture, nothing justified such a sin. I remember watching the blood leaking from the alien's mouth. I took the eye-shield away, saw the dead eyes behind it, with their strange gossamer attachments. For a moment the light moving eye-shield away, saw the dead eyes behind it, with their strange gossamer attachments. For a moment the light moving along those optic fibres gave me hope: then I realised they were only machines. along those optic fibres gave me hope: then I realised they were only machines.

'All my strength went then. The body chemicals, the natural drugs that had kept me going, desperate to survive in the chaos of the invasion, suddenly deserted me. I had killed. I deserved to die. chaos of the invasion, suddenly deserted me. I had killed. I deserved to die.

'So I collapsed in the soil and waited to die, shivering, the body of my enemy cooling beside me.'

Mauvril had to stop then. The story was choking her throat, choking her brain. The dark walls of the cell were pressing in on her, as if she were the prisoner, and the Doctor her captor. in on her, as if she were the prisoner, and the Doctor her captor.

She looked at the Doctor, who nodded.

'I understand,' he said gently. 'I know why you killed that one. But why did you kill all of them? After killing one had felt like that?' like that?'

Mauvril closed her eyes all four of them and looked away. She couldn't answer.

Not yet.

CHAPTER 12.

Jo was falling.

The light of the tree was flowing around her, and Rowenna was slipping away, out of her grasp, her limbs flailing, her mouth open in what might have been a cry of pain.

Jo reached out for her friend, saw Hynes, gun in hand, silhouetted against Against blue sky She landed awkwardly on hard brown earth, found herself surrounded by crushed dry stalks of grass. She sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes against the dazzling sunlight. As her sight adjusted to the glare, she saw a sea of yellow grass around her, shimmering in the heat of a noonday sun. A shambling, dry, purple-black mountain of rough cuboid blocks rose from the plain in front of her, capped with a thin crown of trees.

This is clearly a displacement in space, said a small cool voice inside her. Possibly also a displacement in time. Question is, by how much? Possibly also a displacement in time. Question is, by how much?

Something growled.

A woman screamed: Julie.

Jo stood up. She saw Julie standing, red-faced, pointing at something moving in the grass.

The something that had growled, roared. A fully grown lioness reared up out of the grass only yards away, jaws wide, snarling. It started to run straight at Jo.

Before she could think about reacting, Jo was aware of the impact of the hard earth against her back, the kick of a paw which felt as hard as a bone against her leg. Then the lion was gone. There was the sound of another growl, and Another lion, leaping right over her.

A chorus of hoots and grunts and bird screams joined the growls, and Jo heard the clatter of wings and hooves thudding on the hard ground. She stood up, ignoring pain from her leg and back, saw lions of all sizes running away in several directions. As she watched, they seemed to disappear, blending into the golden grass. Beyond them, antelope stampeded, and a cloud of birds rose from a patch of thorn scrub.

She saw a nearer movement, jumped, then realised it was Rowenna. Her friend was sprawled in the grass, one leg bent under her body. Their eyes met, and Rowenna nodded slightly.

'I think I'm OK,' she whispered, as if she wasn't quite sure that she believed it herself. As Jo watched, she pushed herself half upright with her arms, and tried to look around.

'I think they've all gone,' said Jo. 'They'd be afraid of us. Appearing suddenly like that.'

'Never mind that. Where's Julie?'

Jo looked around, and saw the big woman kneeling in the grass. Praying?

Then she heard the woman's voice. 'OK, Mr Jacob Hynes. You've killed us, so now we're going to kill you, right?'

Rowenna and Jo exchanged a brief glance, then Jo set off at a run.

There was a metallic click and Jo realised that the gleaming thing in Julie's hand was the barrel of a gun.

'No!' called Rowenna. 'Julie! Don't do it!'

'We need him!' yelled Jo at the same time. She reached Julie's side, saw her finger pulling the trigger Nothing happened.

Julie looked up, then sagged like a deflating balloon. 'Hell, can't even work this thing.' She held the gun out to Jo, holding it by the barrel. 'You want to shoot him?'

Jo cautiously took hold of the gun. Only when she'd done that did she take in Julie's knees pressing down on the man's stomach, his terrified face, the drool coming from his mouth, the pieces of dry grass on his cheeks and forehead.

There was an unnatural sheen on Julie's skin, a sweat that wasn't just due to the heat.

Jo turned the gun round, got a proper grip on it. 'You need two trigger pressures to fire this type,' she commented absently, then levelled the gun at Hynes's head. 'What I need to know, Mr Hynes, is where we are, how we got here, exactly which aliens you've contacted and what they said to you. And also ' she gestured around her at the mountain, the sea of grass, the vast, distant horizon ' I'd like to know how I'm going to get home to my son.'

Hynes's eyes rolled in their sockets for a moment, then focused on Jo. 'The last one's easy,' he said. 'You can't go home.'

He began to giggle, an odd, choking sound. 'Home doesn't exist any more.'

A thin layer of smoke drifted within the console room, just above the level of Sam's head. The time rotor had stopped, the screens were dead. A single light flickered on the console, and the Doctor was staring at it, arms folded, an expression of acute concentration on his face.

Most frightening was the ceiling of the console room. The blue-and-gold infinity had been replaced by a grey void. This was infinite too or at least there was nothing to say it wasn't but it was insidious, frightening. It seemed to suck at Sam's vision, holding her gaze and drawing away her thoughts like a vast predatory insect. She remembered something that her maths teacher had once said, about there being several kinds of infinity. He'd been talking about algebra, but Sam knew that what she was seeing now was that algebra made real. It was all she could do to look down.

Kitig was also watching the void above, with all four of his eyes open. He tilted his head from one side to the other in a slow, regular motion. After thinking about this for a moment, Sam realised that the night eyes, mounted on the sides of his head, didn't have an overlapping field of vision, and the rocking motion gave Kitig the nearest thing he could get to binocular vision with the bigger, more sensitive eyes. He was simply trying to get a good view.

'We're here,' said the Doctor suddenly.

Sam glanced at him. 'Where?'

The Doctor glanced up at her. 'Stability point. The only part of the multiverse that currently exists. But it's only stable because it's the fulcrum. Whatever is happening is happening here.'

'The scents are changing,' said Kitig.

Sam jumped. It was the first time the Tractite had spoken since he'd leapt aboard the TARDIS.

'I should have listened to Partil. She wasn't raving.' He gestured upward, and Sam saw that the grey mist had receded, become no more than a patchy shadow on the familiar blue-and-gold infinity.

'It's just the TARDIS,' said Sam. 'It does funny things sometimes. You get used to it.'

The TARDIS lurched, and the time rotor made a single, spasmodic movement. There was a choked-off fragment of the usual materialisation noises, then silence.

'You know, I always did want to visit the Rift Valley area of Africa around this time,' said the Doctor. 'Fascinating period. Absolutely crucial in human evolution. Sam, can I have a word with you for a moment?' He grabbed her arm, not giving her much choice in the matter.

Kitig stepped away, towards the doors that led from the console room to the library.

'He's got to stay inside the TARDIS. Is that clear? You can tell him what you like, debate with him as much as you want, but he's got to stay in the TARDIS got to stay in the TARDIS. Otherwise there aren't going to be any choices at all.'

'Why not?' asked Sam patiently.

The Doctor glanced at Kitig, but the Tractite had picked up a book and was glancing through it. Sam wondered if the TARDIS was translating it for him, or whether he was just trying to work out how mere ink on paper could actually commu-nicate anything.

The Doctor put his lips very close to Sam's ear.

'The trouble is,' he whispered. 'I'm the Uncreator.'

'I know,' said Sam simply.

There was a pause. The sound of the Doctor swallowing. Then: 'You don't want me to do it, do you?'

Sam shook her head.

Another swallow. 'I don't want me to do it either. But you have to believe me, there just isn't any choice. This point won't remain stable for ever. And then '

'I think you ought to tell Kitig about this, not me,' interrupted Sam. 'It's his universe. His family.'

'And yours, Sam. And yours. I've told you. It's not a choice between one and the other: it's a choice between everything and nothing.'

'Maybe. But I've made my decision.'

'No you haven't,' said the Doctor softly. 'And, you know, I think that's part of the problem.'

He stood up, then turned and walked swiftly out of the console room. The doors opened for him, revealing rocks, a patch of brown grass, and dry earth, all of it shining in the brilliant tropical sunlight.

'Put my dinner in the oven if I'm not back by five,' said the Doctor over his shoulder. He pulled a white cloth sun-hat out of a pocket, like a magician producing a handkerchief, and put it on his head.