'I might be able to say if I knew where we were going,'

Ace whispered. But we didn't actually cover the royal residential areas on the school trip.'

The Doctor, having made a decision, was already marching away in another direction. Ace, following, glimpsed a movement in the distance. She caught up with the Doctor and took his arm, warningly. She whispered loudly in his ear: 'There's someone coming.'

The Doctor was undeterred. 'Look as if you own the place,' he answered.

'Do what?'

'Never fails.' He sailed on down the corridor, full of confidence. Ace tood a deep breath and followed.

As the figure neared, Ace's reservations increased ma.s.sively, turning to a sudden certainty of recognition.

'Doctor!' she said, urgently. The Doctor, however, continued. Ace pulled him into a doorway. 'We own the place,' he repeated.

Ace pointed silently at the woman approaching. It could now be seen that she was accompanied by a number of small dogs.

'How annoying,' said the Doctor. 'I can't place her for the life of me.'

Ace put her hand over his mouth to prevent any further sound as the Queen pa.s.sed within a yard of them, a number of corgis playing around her feet. The Doctor struggled but Ace kept hold of him until the sound of the royal footsteps had faded, when the Doctor struggled free.

'It's all right, Ace,' he said, desperately, keeping well clear of her. 'I know her from somewhere.'

'Of course you do,' said Ace.

A second later the ancient stones of the castle were rent by an anguished cry.

'Whaaat?' shouted the Doctor 'Why didn't you say something?'

'You wouldn't let me,' replied Ace, reasonably.

'Her Majesty the Queen's exactly who we need,' the Doctor yelled. 'Quick! After her.'

He bolted down the corridor after the Queen. Ace, naturally, followed.

Within seconds they arrived at a junction of other corridors. The Doctor stopped, lunged in one direction, thought better of it, and stopped again. He lunged in another, and stopped again. The ancient stone walls seemed to reflect his blankness mockingly. As Ace caught up with him, he noticed a third option. Immediately next to him was a door. On the door was the imprint of a golden crown. The Doctor beamed at Ace in triumph. 'Aha,' he cried, reaching for the doork.n.o.b. Ace's hand flashed forward and grabbed his.

'We can't go in there,' she said desperately.

The Doctor was firm. 'Don't you think it would be very useful to have the police, not to mention the armed services, on our side? Of course it would. And who better to go to for help in mobilizing them than their commander-in-chief? Cut through all the red tape.'

'Hold on, Doctor,' said Ace weakly.

But the Doctor was deady serious. 'There really is no alternative, believe me,' he said. 'The worst people the world has to offer will be on their way to Windsor right now.' He raised his hand to knock authoritatively. Another hand seized his. It was immensely strong. Ace and the Doctor turned to discover two large fit-looking men in suits, one of whom was the owner of the hand. He lowered the Doctor's arm slowly. Ace realized they clearly meant business.

'What are you doing here?' he asked.

'I can't possibly discuss that with you,' replied the Doctor firmly, drawing himself up to his full height. This brought him impressively level with the man's chest.

'Who, may I ask, are you?'

'Palace security,' replied the second man, who was if anything larger than the first.

'Oh good.' The Doctor warmed at once. 'I have to speak to Her Majesty.'

'You were right,' said the first security man to the second one. 'Mental.' He turned back to the Doctor. 'Don't worry,' he said in the louder than usual tone that the English reserve for foreigners and the ill. 'We'll have a doctor here soon.'

For once, thought Ace, it was really a good thing the Doctor had two hearts. One would not be enough to sustain the immediate rise in blood pressure which erupted inside him.

'I am am the Doctor,' he shouted at the top of his voice. the Doctor,' he shouted at the top of his voice.

'Don't get excited,' warned the first security man. 'How did you get in here?'

'I can tell you now that you won't believe me,' answered the Doctor haughtily.

The first security man spoke patiently, as if to an angry child: 'Try us.'

The Doctor glared at him in defiance. 'I travelled through s.p.a.ce and time,' he said. He looked evenly at both of them.

'Dear, oh dear,' said the first security man to the second, who rolled his eyes.

'See?' howled the Doctor. 'What did I tell you? Very well, in that case I demand you escort us to Her Majesty at once.'

To the Doctor's apparent surprise, however, the first security man completely ignored him and turned to Ace.

'Are you a patient with him?' he asked.

Ace was extremely angry at seeing the Doctor treated with such disrespect. She glared at the large man. 'You'd better listen to him, weasel features. He's the Doctor,' she insisted.

The first security man nodded sagely. 'Oh, is he?' he said patiently. He glanced significantly at his companion.

The Doctor sighed. 'No,' he said, and gestured down the corridor behind the two men. 'He's the Doctor.' There was a second's pause. The security men did not even flicker towards looking over their shoulders. The first smiled sadly and shook his head. 'Don't try that one with us,' he said.

The Doctor appeared to give in. 'Oh, all right,' he agreed. 'How about this?' Suddenly a look of peculiar intensity came over his eyes, a look which Ace had never seen before. Suddenly his voice became fascinating, seeming to summon all their concentration into his power.

'The fate of every living creature on this planet hangs in the balance,' said the Doctor distinctly.

There was a moment's silence. The security men shook their heads as if to clear them. Despite themselves, the men were shaken. 'I don't believe you,' said the first hesitantly.

Ace, however, was aware that neither of the two men could not remove his eyes from the Doctor's. His voice, controlling them, had become low and hypnotic. 'You will believe me,' the Doctor continued, staring into their eyes, which were becoming dormant. 'You will let us go. You will not move.' The two security men were as if rooted where they stood, staring blankly forward. The Doctor took Ace's arm and began to lead her quietly away.

'How did you do that?' she whispered, once they were a few yards down the corridor.

The Doctor, seldom a patron of false modesty, smiled complacently. 'Oh, it's quite easy really,' he said. There was a sudden cry from behind them. Looking back, Ace saw the two security men break into a run after them. 'The only trouble is,' the Doctor continued, taking Ace's arm and breaking into a dash himself, 'it doesn't last very long.'

They bolted down the corridor, pursued by the two security men.

Rounding a corner breathlessly, they hesitated for a moment. A large double door was ahead of them. They hurtled through it.

There was what seemed to Ace after the gloom of the corridor a blaze of light, crowded with smiling oriental faces as she and the Doctor charged through the centre of the group of j.a.panese tourists in whose company they had entered the castle, apologizing profusely as they shouldered the visitors aside. In the background, the security men burst through the door and headed full pelt for the centre of the disarrayed but rea.s.sembling group of tourists. The Doctor and Ace fled through the opposite exit and into a larger, brighter corridor. Ahead of them was a wide and magnificent flight of stairs lined with paintings. They charged down it. At the bottom was a recess, into which they crammed themselves and began to regain their breath.

'What now?' panted Ace.

'Back to the TARDIS,' replied the Doctor. 'We must get the statue before anyone else does, and we're obviously not going to get any help here.' He moved to leave. Stepping forward to follow him, Ace's attention was caught by one of the pictures. She halted. 'Professor!' she called. The Doctor stopped.

'What now?' he asked, glancing back up the stairs, where at any moment he expected the security men to appear. Ace pointed at the painting. It showed a rich young woman in eighteenth century dress: the green countryside rolling away in the eternal background, her eyes perfectly certain that its ownership would lie unchanged in the hands of her descendants forever.

Ace's expression was one of wonder. 'That's me,' she said.

'What?' The Doctor stepped closer and examined it.

Recognition dawned. 'Oh yes. Not a bad likeness was it?'

He began to walk away. Ace was staggered.

'But...' she began.

The Doctor smiled indulgently and patted her on the arm. 'It's all right,' he said in a comforting tone. 'It hasn't happened yet.'

Ace looked at him blankly. 'But that was painted two hundred years ago.'

The Doctor smiled patiently. 'I know,' he replied, 'but we haven't done it yet. That's why you can't remember.'

Ace struggled for a moment to work out the Doctor's logic. She was still mystified. 'That doesn't make sense,'

she finally said.

The Doctor sighed the sigh of a being forever misunderstood. 'It did to Louis Armstrong,' he murmured sadly. 'He really understood time.'

4.

At the building site, everything was still. The three policemen lay where they had collapsed, breathing but unconscious.

Suddenly and simultaneously through each of the windows, De Flores' armed paramilitaries burst in.

Fanning out across the site they quickly and expertly searched every square foot before a.s.suming defensive positions. It was only then that De Flores arrived, impatient though he clearly was. He carried the flight case in which he had placed the bow, and was already gazing intently at the smoking hole into which the comet had made its landfall. Karl awaited him, a puzzled look on his face.

'Herr De Flores, I don't understand how the police have already been overcome.'

De Flores brushed this aside and hurried towards the comet. 'That is of no importance,' he replied. 'All that matters is that the Nemesis is safe.' He gazed down at the smouldering ball of rock. The silver face seemed to stare back blankly at him, partly visible through the gla.s.s panel.

De Flores stepped forward and tenderly wiped away some mud from it with his handkerchief. He stared into its eyes, a look of adoration suffusing his hard features. 'At last,' he said, addressing the statue. 'I know why you have come.

Your long journey is over. I alone understand you, and I have brought what you need.'

Reverently, he unlocked the flight case and flipped open the lid. Inside lay the silver bow. For a moment, nothing happened. Then through the rock there was a spasm of luminescence like a sudden flash of lightning on a summer night. For a brief instant, the statue of a woman was clearly visible through the rock and mud. The darkness which followed was absolute, as though light had never existed.

Almost immediately there was a second spasm of the dazzling silver light inside the rock, this time even brighter and longer. The silver light picked out the rapt watching face of De Flores and the faces of the young men around him, their expressions caught for an instant half-way between terror and fascination. More spasms followed, building in intensity until the rock was pulsating with light. There was a deafening crack that sounded like thunder, and the rock split in two, its two halves edged with fire as they fell away. The silver woman's form lay revealed, emanating silver light so sharp it was almost blinding. The young men shielded their eyes. De Flores, however, seemed to thrive on the power he had unleashed and stood firm, appearing to breathe in strength from the very presence of the Nemesis.

'Your strength returns,' he whispered. 'Soon you will be completely restored.' His voice suddenly rose. 'But...' He stepped forward and knocked away the last of the rock casing which covered the statue's left hand. He was horrified. Suddenly frantic, he turned to the others.

'Where is the arrow?'

The young men looked at one another, incomprehensibly.

'It must be here,' screamed De Flores, scrabbling wildly in the mud. 'Find it. Find it! Find it! ' '

Instantly obedient, they began examining the ground around the comet. Deeply involved in their search, they were unaware of the TARDIS materializing a few yards away, and of the Doctor and Ace stepping out.

'I do hope we're not too late,' yelled the Doctor over his shoulder as he rushed forward. Turning to face the way he was going, he pulled up immediately, but it was too late.

They were staring down the barrels of eight high-velocity weapons. The Doctor was rea.s.suring. Lifting his hat with a polite smile he addressed the young men in his best diplomatic manner. 'Don't worry. We're not going to hurt you.'

Karl was shaken. 'How did you get here?' he demanded.

He turned to De Flores. 'I searched that section. There was no one there.'

De Flores had risen to his feet. 'Never mind, Karl,' he said impatiently. 'You will see many signs and wonders in the days to come. We have only one concern with these...

conjurers.' He faced the Doctor. 'Give me the arrow of Nemesis.'

The Doctor, however, was perfectly composed.

'Fortunately,' he replied, 'I haven't seen it since 1638 when it disappeared with the good Lady Peinforte.'

'Rubbish.' De Flores turned to Ace, who shivered involuntarily. 'You. This is your only chance to save yourself. Where is the arrow?'