'We can only try,' said the Doctor gently. He gazed deep into the crystal.

It began to glow . . .

Lady Tanha gazed broodingly out of the window. 'Do you have any children, Director Ambril?'

'No, my Lady. I have never married. My work . . .' 'You are very sensible,' said Tanha levelly. 'You have your - objects. An object lasts.

You hold it in your hand and it belongs to you. Children can be very disappointing in that respect, don't you think so?'

'My Lady Tanha,' said Ambril unhappily. 'I really don't know.'

'I do . . .' She turned from the window, as Lon came back into the room.

'Mother? Look!'

Lon was resplendent in the costume of the Sky Hero. It consisted of a white toga with a starburst design on the breast, tied by a golden sash.

On his head was an elaborate golden hat, crowned by a golden sunburst design, into which there was set a gleaming jewel.

He cut a handsome, heroic figure, and Tanha couldn't help being pleased. 'How splendid you are. Let me look at you.'

Lon went over to her. 'Am I forgiven?'

Tanha sighed. 'Of course. Aren't you always? You do look splendid, and it fits exactly. Don't you think so, Ambril?'

Ambril beamed with pride. 'A remarkable fit, my Lady. Truly remarkable.'

'Let me look at you,' said Lady Tanha again. 'I'm going to be so proud of you at the ceremony.'

Ambril produced a faded sheet of parchment. 'And here, my Lord, are the Responses.'

Exhausted with concentration, the Doctor closed his eyes. The glow of the crystal faded.

Nyssa looked around, as if expecting Dojjen to appear in a puff of smoke. 'Nothing!'

'He's not coming,' said Chela sadly.

The Doctor said, 'Be patient. Wait.'

They waited.

'Doctor?' said Chela.

'What?'

'If your theory about the Great Crystal is true, why didn't Dojjen destroy it when he was still Director?'

'Good question, Chela. Nyssa asked me exactly the same thing.'

'Well?'

'I don't know. Perhaps it is as I said before -destroying the Great Crystal would have left the Mara in existence as a latent force. Maybe we need the Great Crystal to expose and destroy the Mara.'

Suddenly the crystal around the Doctor's neck began to glow again.

'Doctor!' whispered Nyssa. She pointed.

Silhouetted between two great rocks stood the figure of a tall white-haired old man, dressed in worn leather garments. He carried a staff, and there was a leather pouch at his belt. The crystal around his neck was glowing brightly, as if in answer to the Doctor's own.

The Doctor smiled in relief. 'Dojjen!'

Bells tinkled and cymbals clashed and horns blew as the Ceremonial Snake weaved its way towards the Cave. The megaphone voice boomed out: 'Abandon yourselves, and follow the path of the Snake! Follow the path! Who can resist the power of the Snake?'

Laughing and chattering excitedly, the crowd followed the Snake, forming a sort of informal procession, rushing all unknowing towards the horror that awaited them.

The Doctor and Dojjen sat facing each other, cross-legged, a few feet apart. Instinctively, Chela and Nyssa had moved away, watching from a respectful distance. Slowly Dojjen reached into his pouch and produced a small green snake. It writhed in his hands, hissing angrily. Gripping it just behind the neck with his right hand, Dojjen slowly and deliberately moved the snake towards his own bare left forearm. As soon as it was in range, the snake darted its head forwards and bit him.

Dojjen sat quite motionless for a moment, then he held the still-writhing snake out to the Doctor. Slowly the Doctor pushed back his left sleeve. He reached out and took the snake in his right hand.

'No, Doctor,' called Nyssa. 'What are you doing? You mustn't let it bite you.'

The Doctor tightened his grip on the snake. 'I'm afraid there's no choice, not if we're to have any chance of saving Tegan and defeating the Mara.'

'But the venom could be deadly.'

'Yes, I know.'

Eyes fixed on Dojjen's, the Doctor brought the snake closer to his left wrist. He winced as he felt the sudden stab of its fangs.

By now the crowd was lining the steps that led up to the Cave of the Snake, cheering and clapping as the official party marched up the steps.

Many of the crowd carried lanterns, others blew horns and threw streamers.

Magnificent in the Sky Hero costume, Lon marched at the head of the official procession. Behind him came Ambril and Lady Tanha, both suitably robed, and behind them, a small group of high officials. The crowd pressed forwards, cheering and waving, frantic to see, perhaps even to touch, the Sky Hero as he strode up the steps.

The Doctor could feel the deadly snake venom flooding through his veins. He could feel his senses slipping away. The only thing that was real, the only lifeline, was Dojjen's voice. Strangely enough the voice did not come from Dojjen's lips. The voice spoke inside the Doctor's head.

'Look into my eyes,' said Dojjen. 'You have come this far. You must not give in to fear. Look.'

The Doctor seemed to be peering through a thickening mist. Dojjen's face bagan to quiver and dissolve, to spin and fade away.

'No!' said Dojjen's voice. 'Look at me!'

'Can't,' muttered the Doctor. 'It's the poison . . . the effect of the poison.'

The calm old voice said, 'Fear is the only poison.'

'Fear . . .' repeated the Doctor. 'Fear is 'the poison . . .'

'Ask your question.'

Somehow the Doctor managed to force the words from his lips. 'How . .

. how can I. . . must save Tegan. My fault . . . my fault. How can the Mara ... be destroyed?. . .' His voiced faded and he swayed dizzily.

'Steady your mind,' commanded the voice. 'Attach to nothing. Let go of your fear.'

The Doctor strove to obey. The spinning stopped, the mists cleared, and suddenly the Doctor was looking at Dojjen's face, blurred but perfectly recognisable. It was as if the rising tide of poison in his blood had halted, begun to recede.

The Doctor moistened his lips and whispered, 'What is the Snakedance?'

'This is. Here and now. The dance goes On. It is all the dance, everywhere and always. So you must find the still point. Only then can the Mara be defeated.'

The Doctor frowned in concentration. 'Still point? A point of safety?

Somewhere in the Chamber?'

'No! The still point is within yourself, nowhere else.

To destroy the Mara you must find the still point . . . point. . . point. . .'

The voice echoed and faded away, and the Doctor was swallowed up in darkness.

In the Chamber of the Mara, chairs had been arranged on a raised dais, set up beneath the carving of the Great Snake. There were three larger, throne-like chairs in front of the others. The little group of dignitaries stood waiting in a murmuring group.

Ambril bustled in, carrying the chest that held the Great Crystal, and went up to Lady Tanha. 'My Lady, the Ceremonial Snake is approaching.

We should take our places.'

'Certainly,' said Lady Tanha graciously. She sat on one of the three central chairs, and the dignitaries moved to their places.

Ambril went up to Lon. My Lord, the Great Crystal-' 'I will tell you when,' said Lon tensely. Ambril bowed. 'Very well, my Lord. We must take our places.'

A roar of excitement went up from the crowd as the great Ceremonial Snake writhed its way along the lane and began climbing the steps to the Cave of the Snake. Bells jangled, cymbals clashed, horns wailed, and once again the red-robed Voice of the Mara bellowed the ritual threats.

'Follow the path of the Great Snake! Submit! Abandon yourself, and follow the path of the Great Snake!'

As the Snake climbed the steps and disappeared into the Cave, the excited crowd surged after it.

The Doctor heard a voice, calling to him in the darkness.

'Doctor! Doctor wake up.' It was a voice that he recognised. It was Nyssa. He opened his eyes, and saw her worried face. The Doctor managed a smile . . . 'h.e.l.lo, Nyssa . . .'

'Thank goodness! I thought for a moment. . .'

'Thought what?' The Doctor felt a faint soreness on his arm. He looked down at the two faint puncture marks.

The snake venom had been deadly, the Doctor was sure of that. Yet he felt perfectly well. The Snakedancers must have learned to neutralise the venom, the mind controlling the body completely. Somehow Dojjen had managed to transmit the power.

The Doctor smiled, and looked at Dojjen, who sat placidly, cross-legged, staring into s.p.a.ce.

'I'm perfectly all right. I've - survived.'

'But how?'

'I don't know. Somehow Dojjen saw me through.'

Distant sounds of noise and excitement floated up to the hill top.

'We must hurry,' said Chela.

The Doctor jumped to his feet. 'Yes, of course. The ceremony.'

'But did you find out what you needed to know?' asked Nyssa.

'Yes, I think I did. We'll just have to see. Come on!'

The Doctor turned to hurry away, but Chela put a hand on his arm, and frowned warningly. The Doctor watched as Chela folded his arms across his chest and bowed low to Dojjen. Copying the gesture, the Doctor did the same. So did Nyssa.

With the Doctor leading the way, they scrambled down the steep path to the Cave of the Snake.

'Doctor, what are we going to do?' asked Chela. 'Stop the ceremony. I only hope we're not too late!'

12.

The Becoming of the Mara

Ambril stood in the centre of the little group of dignitaries, Lady Tanha on his left, Lon on his right.

The Snake made its way into the Chamber of the Mara and came to a halt before the dais. There was a gla.s.s jewel in its jaws. The crowd pressed into the great Chamber, leaving a respectful s.p.a.ce around the dais and the Ceremonial Snake. There was a hushed, expectant silence.

The Voice of the Mara stepped forward, bellowing through his megaphone, 'I speak here for the Mara! The Great Snake! The Father of Lies!'

There was a ceremonial rattling of castanets like the sound of angry rattlesnakes.

The Voice of the Mara bowed his head in mock grief. 'The thoughts of the Mara are black in my mind. Its words are bitter on my tongue. But I am too weak to resist.'

More clacking of castanets and a ritual moan of a.s.sent from the crowd.

'We are all too weak to resist!' boomed the Voice. 'The Mara has brought darkness to our hearts. It shows us death!'

More moans of grief and despair.