248.

249.

Ace looked crestfallen.

boy-scout jamboree, although Jill had violently vetoed The Doctor looked up and smiled. 'But you did get us out someone's notion of a singsong.

of there,' he croaked. Ace grinned back.

Now they were huddled together in the pews, wrapped in 'What d'you mean, "main dish"?' said Robin worriedly.

the blankets they'd been requested to bring. A few children The Doctor struggled into a sitting position. 'That thing in were dashing unconcernedly up and down the aisle.

the tower ... that Sentience ... is of incalculable age. I believe Only Mr Medcalfe, one of Crook Marsham's oldest the Earth formed around it. It runs through s.p.a.ce like a vein residents, stood alone, gazing out of the back window into of mineral in the rocks. It's growing and it's hungry.'

the misty churchyard.

Robin looked ashen faced.

George Lowc.o.c.k sat down next to Jill and undid his tie. 'I The Doctor seemed to recover with remarkable speed and feel so... useless,' he exclaimed.

was on his feet within minutes. 'You see,' he said, pointing 'I know,' said Jill calmly, 'but until we have a clue what's to the ruined tower, 'you've only made it stronger.'

happening we'd better stay put. I know what it can do.'

Ace and Robin looked up. The air around the blackened 'It?'

stonework was alive with roaring energy, a cloud of Jill shrugged. 'You know, I never believed in anything out whispering light growing by the second.

of the ordinary, supernatural... even as a child. But I've seen Ace looked across the moor and then at the Doctor. His things today...'

expression was dark and forbidding.

Lowc.o.c.k sank his head on to his chest. 'Well, whatever it 'What now, Doctor?' said Ace quietly.

is, I want it out of my village. I want things back the way The Doctor glanced up at the tower and then over the they were.'

moor to the fog-shrouded telescope.

Jill put a hand on his. 'I don't think they can be, George.

'Come on,' he said. 'It's time to lay some ghosts.'

Things change. They have to.'

Jill Mason sat hugging her knees to her chin in one of the Andrew Medcalfe watched his breath steam up the cold church pews. It felt like an age since they'd closed the window. He felt safe here in the old church, lost amongst church doors and almost as long since George Lowc.o.c.k had the cold shadows.

made his 'difficult' announcement. He had stuck to his idea As a boy, he had often hidden from his parents in this bit of a poisonous gas leak and the reaction hadn't been as of the building, enjoying the feel of the cool stone against his incredulous as expected, several villagers having already hands and face as he gazed out of the stained gla.s.s. He'd made their own grim discoveries.

seen a good few headstones spring up since then and knew There had been several ideas to perk everyone up, some that his own, the one he was never destined to see, was not of the residents organising things with all the gusto of a too far off. He was getting on.

250.

251.

This gas scare he could have done without, especially Medcalfe rubbed his hand against a crimson-hued pane of since his declining years had been so free of incident: calm, gla.s.s and peeked out into the frost-rimed churchyard. There unspectacular and peaceful. Medcalfe turned the word over it was. The one monument he could hardly bear to look at.

in his mind. Peace. Full. It had such a beautiful sound.

Some people said he was a dull old dog but he never AICKMAN, ROBERT, PTE complained, never answered back. Because they didn't ATKINSON, WILLIAM, PTE understand. Could never hope to understand.

c.o.c.kAYNE, CYRIL, PTE.

Oh, he had been a hot-blooded youth like the rest of them, CLEMINSON, JOHN, PTE a bit of a rebel even. He was going to get away from this MAYNARD, EDWARD, PTE miserable village and see the world. China, India, Africa or SHACKLETON, GEORGE, SRG even America, which sounded so exciting in the Conan Doyle books.

His gaze moved swiftly to the base of the broken pillar There'd even been one or two brushes with the law back where a fairly fresh wreath of poppies fluttered in the wind.

at the turn of the century. Nothing too serious of course, but WE WILL REMEMBER THEM it had taken more than a magistrate's fine to sort out Mr Woodall's daughter when he'd got her in the family way.

The sky above the ruined monastery tower rippled like But after the Somme, he had never yearned for excitement water, great bolts of burning light shooting through the again.

clouds. There was a distant rumble of thunder followed Of all the men in Crook Marsham who had joined up (and only seconds later by a vicious fork of lightning.

almost all had gone voluntarily, poor devils), only he and The Sentience licked about the tower and slowly, almost Jack Prudhoe had returned alive.

unconsciously, began to swirl into a vortex. This time the They'd never really been friends before but after the Great thunder seemed closer, booming from horizon to horizon, War they had an unspoken bond, something no one else the accompanying lightning flared across the sky. The could penetrate. Even though neither said a word about atmosphere crackled as though alive.

their experiences, both recognised the haunted look buried A ma.s.sive shock ripped through the tower and the deep at the back of the other's eyes.

ancient masonry shattered into limestone dust. Trails of Medcalfe coughed loudly and spat up a ball of phlegm light sparkled in the vortex, spiralling from a rich purple to into his grubby handkerchief. He'd caught a whiff of gas in a dense, terrifying blackness. Wind roared across the moor, the trenches and was still suffering for it.

tearing up clumps of heather and rock. The old bus shelter Now old Jack was gone too: a victim, so George Lowc.o.c.k and the road sign gave little resistance, exploding in a cloud said, of this mysterious accident. Ironic that it should be gas of rotten wood. Only the TARDIS stood firm, like a watchful too.

policeman, calmly biding its time.

252.

253.

The Sentience spread its nebulous fronds, gushing down he was enthusiastically received by Cooper and Holly. It from the heavens like an avenging angel. The sky boiled was better than a hundred ovations, he thought, chuckling with fire.

to himself.

It felt the blackness at its heart, the great, awful Trevithick recounted his adventures with some pride and hollowness. There had to be more. There was still need.

then told them of his discovery in the base of the lift shaft.Need Cooper threw him a glance. 'Describe it.'

Flicking a shimmering tendril, it covered the whole Trevithick sat back in his chair. 'I can't. It's all lit up like a distance to the village in a fraction of a second. For a few TV studio. Too bright to make anything out. But it's pulsing, moments, it gurgled and twisted around every house, as if it were alive. I managed to get back up the stairs to this loosening bricks and shattering roofs.

level but I think I must've pa.s.sed out. Getting to be a bit of a Need habit, I'm afraid.'

Then there was a tiny trace in its mind. Insistent. Powerful.

'Well,' said Vijay, 'we're delighted...'

Bountiful.

The double doors burst open at the suggestion of Robin's Need foot and he, the Doctor and Ace ran into the room, bringing A torrent of emotion raced through every brilliant particle a ma.s.s of wind-blown foliage with them.

of its essence and sadness overwhelmed it. Such regret.

'Doctor! Thank G.o.d!' exclaimed Trevithick.

Such regret.

Cooper ran a hand through her blood-stiffened hair and Regret was good. Regret was strong.

grinned broadly. 'Good to have you back.'Need 'What's the situation?' said the Doctor quietly.Need Cooper gestured around desperately. The room was Suddenly, there were images too. Faces and names and clattering with data again.

voices, all perfectly clear and unsullied. Without the 'It's coming from under the ground, not s.p.a.ce,' said Holly, slightest hesitation, the Sentience moved in for the kill.

triumphantly.

Vijay found Trevithick slumped in the corridor just The Doctor blinked. 'Yes. Yes, that would make sense.'

outside the control room. He appeared to be asleep through Trevithick stepped forward. 'Doctor, I've seen it. Down sheer exhaustion, his empty revolver gripped tightly in one there. You wouldn't believe it. All the lower levels, full of hand.

light and.. .and...' He stammered and shook his head.

Vijay was so delighted to find the old man alive that he 'I've spoken to it,' said the Doctor gravely.

kissed him, an action which roused Trevithick faster than 'You've what?' cried Vijay.

any smelling salts.

'I don't know what it is. I don't even know if it's alive in Hooking one of Trevithick's arms around him, Vijay any sense we understand. It's like a virus. Or a vampire.

carried the battle-weary actor into the control room where Feeding off energy.'

254.

255.

Ace shot a look at the shattered window. 'What happened 'Exactly.' The Doctor rose from his chair. 'And the here?'

stronger your belief in it, the more powerful it becomes until Vijay smiled. 'You wouldn't like to know.'

you haven't the will to deny it. And then it consumes you.'

Robin was also by the window, gazing at the boiling sky.

Robin thought of Betty. What had she seen? What was the 'Doctor, I think you should see this.'

dreadful death he had condemned her to?

The Doctor appraised the violent heavens with one look 'What can we do?' he said at last.

and then turned back. 'We're running out of time. It's 'We have to fight it at source,' declared the Doctor firmly.

spreading all over the moor.'

He turned to Trevithick. 'Edmund, you said something 'But what is it?' insisted Cooper.

about the lower levels...'

'I've told you, I don't know!' bellowed the Doctor, angrily.

'There's no need, Doctor,' cried Vijay. 'I think we've 'I can't have an answer for everything.'

found a more direct route downwards.' The Doctor frowned.

Oh, that's a good one, thought Ace.

The Doctor sat down. 'It's incredibly ancient. Older than Andrew Medcalfe jerked back from the window in the Earth itself. It runs through the planet.'

surprise. There was someone standing by the war memorial, 'Like the letters in Blackpool rock?' said Trevithick their face in deep shadow.

brightly.

He almost turned to call Lowc.o.c.k. Everyone was The Doctor glared at him. 'If you like.'

supposed to be inside the church. For their own good. He Cooper looked at the Doctor earnestly. 'But all these almost turned.

incidents, ghosts...'

But then the figure raised its face and gazed directly into The Doctor's voice was husky and exhausted. 'My guess Medcalfe's bleary old eyes.

is that, powerful as it is, it can't feed directly. It needs Need something to latch on to, to give it time to feed.'

The young man was wearing a knee-length trenchcoat 'Memory?' said Vijay.

and high boots. His hair and skin were fair, almost radiant, The Doctor nodded. 'For the most part. Strong flushed with youthful vigour. He smiled warmly.

a.s.sociations. Regrets. Desires. They're formidable emotions.

'John?' whispered Medcalfe.

Think how one little thing can stir up a flood of nostalgia in John Cleminson.