'You can say that again!' Rose grinned. 'They've got a pile in one room under that ruined temple place. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.'

Alarmingly, the professor took her arm, like they were old friends or something. 'Can you show me?' she asked, moving her mouth into an unfamiliar shape.

Rose realised with a start that the woman was trying to smile! She looked over in the direction of the shaman's tent but there was no sign of the Doctor.

'Don't worry about them. We won't be long,' the professor urged her.

'I should just tell him where we're going,' Rose insisted. The professor sighed and nodded. 'OK, then, if you have to.'

Inside the shaman's brightly decorated tent the Doctor and Rez were with Brother Hugan. That is, they were inside the tent with the old man, but to what extent he was actually there was open to debate. He was rolling back and forth on his sleeping blankets, sweating and shivering in equal measure. And all the time he was muttering about Laylora.117.

'Laylora demands. . . Laylora needs cleansing. . . ' The words kept tumbling out, hardly audible.

Rez looked to the Doctor, willing him to do something, but the stranger in the brown coat just stuffed his hands into his pockets and shuffled around, looking concerned.

'I think the poor bloke's lost his mind,' he speculated. 'A side effect of becoming a Witiku.'

'So will this happen to the rest of the missing, when we find them and give them the cure?' Rez asked, alarmed.

The Doctor didn't meet his eyes when he replied. 'I really don't know. Not necessarily. I hope.' And behind his back he crossed his fingers.

The tent flap was pushed open and Kaylen appeared with a steaming cup of jinnera.

'Are you sure this is a good idea?' she asked as she handed the cup to the Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged. 'You said you used this stuff to help you relax, didn't you? I think that's just what this poor bloke needs to do right now.'

Rez still looked doubtful. 'But the last time he went near the stuff he didn't exactly relax, did he?' he said, remembering what he had seen earlier that day.

'But he was a Witiku then. Now he's back in his own natural form. And to you Laylorans, this is the original Horlicks, right?'

He winked at Kaylen, who had no idea what he was talking about. She took a hasty step back, as if worried that the twitch in his eye might be catching.

The Doctor bent down by the side of the shaman. 'Here, help me get him into a sitting position,' he said.

Rez hurried across and a moment later the Doctor was able to raise the cup of jinnera to the old man's lips. He drank and almost choked in his enthusiasm.

'Steady on, old fella. There's no rush,' muttered the Doctor, but a moment later the man lurched violently backwards and then forward again, spitting out all of the liquid he'd swallowed. 118 The Doctor and Rez both jumped backwards instinctively, giving the shaman the opportunity to leap up and push them both back on their heels. Brother Hugan then rushed towards the tent flap. Kaylen made a half-hearted attempt to stop him, but he just tossed her to one side, back into the path of the Doctor and Rez. In a moment he was out of the tent and away.

By the time the Doctor, Rez and Kaylen had disentangled themselves from the pile of arms and legs they had collapsed into, the shaman was long gone. They rushed out of the tent and tried to see which way he had gone, but there was no sign of him. He had disappeared completely.

They were still frantically looking a moment or two later when Rose and the professor joined them. Rose began to tell the Doctor about wanting to take the professor to the temple.

The Doctor suddenly clicked his fingers. 'The temple! Of course, that's where he'll be heading.'

'Rose and I can go and look for him,' the professor said quickly, to everyone's surprise. 'You need to get the jinnen back to the ship to make up a batch of Witiku cure, don't you? While you do that, we can find the shaman.'

'I'll go with them,' volunteered Rez.

The professor shook her head. 'You should be careful with that head wound of yours,' she said. 'You need rest.'

Rez insisted that he was fine now, but the Doctor, who had been considering the situation for a moment, decided he wanted Rez to help him.

'Rose can look after the professor, can't you, Rose?' he said, looking Rose in the eye. She was about to argue, but the Doctor gave her a sly wink he needed her to do this for him. 'But take care,' he added, 'Brother Hugan's not himself and the rest of the Witiku must be round here somewhere.'

Rose nodded, accepting her mission, and set off with the professor. The Doctor looked at Rez and Kaylen. 'Come on, then. Where's all this jinnen you promised me?'119.

[image]

It struck Rose that the days couldn't be very long on Laylora because it was already getting dark as she and the professor set off from the village. Rez had given her instructions on how to find the temple and the ruins, but she was beginning to be able to recognise the path through the trees now. The professor had set off at a brisk walking pace but had soon slowed down in the heat of the late afternoon sun. The forest was alive with life. Not just the plants, which were vibrant and sweet-smelling, but insects and animals too. There were little midges, but they were less irritating than any Rose had ever encountered before and didn't seem interested in biting her. There were also some beautiful b.u.t.terfly-like creatures that flitted about between the bushes and flowers. And above them was a canopy of leafy branches, through which the sun burst in mottled patterns. The air was filled with the songs of numerous birds. Rose couldn't help but smile as they walked though this sensual delight. The professor, striding alongside her, didn't seem to be interested in her surroundings; she just wanted to get to the ruins of the ancient temple as quickly as possible. Couldn't she appreciate the beauty of this place? In the end Rose asked the woman straight out.

'Beauty fades,' was the professor's only reply.121.

This made Rose study the woman's lined face again. Had she once been beautiful herself? She had good cheekbones and perfectly balanced features it was certainly possible that she'd been a looker when she was younger. Still could be, if she'd just chill a little and smile occasionally.

The professor looked up at the darkening sky. 'Sun's going down. We should get a move on.'

Rose stepped forward to lead the way.

'We'd better take care, though,' she warned. 'We don't want to frighten him.'

'Who?' asked the professor, confused.

'Brother Hugan, of course.' Rose was surprised. Had she forgotten the reason for their journey?

They moved on into the gathering shadows.

Petra Shulough glanced at the young woman beside her. She envied Rose her confidence she seemed utterly devoid of doubt and fear. One of the great freedoms of being young, she supposed. Just like the boy Rez.

As she followed Rose through the trees, the professor was aware of a strange feeling of emptiness coming over her. The trisilicate had been the final piece of the jigsaw; now there was no doubt that this was indeed the planet that Guillan had found. . . Guillan and her parents. But somehow the knowledge that she had succeeded in her quest was not giving her the satisfaction that she had expected. Instead of joy she just felt numb.

Her mind kept going back to the teenage orphan. Like Petra, Rez had lost his parents at an early age, but he had never really known them. What must it have been like for him, abandoned as a baby and brought up by aliens? Had this been a paradise for him? Elsewhere in the forest the Doctor, Rez and Kaylen were arriving back at the s.p.a.ceship, each of them carrying bags of the heavy jinnen seed.

'Shame you lot haven't invented the wheelbarrow,' muttered the Doctor as they came in sight of the crashed ship. 122 To his delight, as they got closer Hespell came out of the airlock to give them a hand. With him was Ania Baker, who was now looking in much better health than when he had last seen her. She seemed to be over the shock of witnessing the Witiku's transformation and back to her normal bubbly self.

'Feeling better?' asked the Doctor, pleased to see that his patient was out and about.

'Much better,' she said, returning his smile. 'Thanks to you.'

The Doctor noted the way she was standing very close to the redhaired lad. He thought it was sweet; the long-limbed and slightly awkward Hespell and the tiny, precise Baker would make a nice couple. He hoped they'd have the chance to become one. While Hespell and Baker started taking the jinnen to the lab, he Doctor sought out Kendle. As expected, the exmarine was on the bridge, alone.

'Did you get what you went for?' he asked, as the Doctor joined him.

'I think so. But have you managed to rig some suitable delivery systems? The solution will be no good as a cure if we can't control the dosage.'

Kendle shrugged. 'There were some bits and pieces of cleaning equipment that I've managed to make something out of,' he told the Doctor. 'Do you really think spraying the creatures with this stuff will turn them back to their native form?'

The Doctor pulled a face. 'That's the theory.'

He leaned over Kendle's console and scanned the information on the screen. 'Talking of theories oh, systems at 95 per cent, that's good. . . Where was I? Oh yes, theories. . . ' He paused and frowned, as if marshalling his thoughts. 'What's the deal with Professor Shulough and you, then?'

Kendle's face hardened. 'What are you suggesting?' he whispered menacingly.

The Doctor took a step back and waved his hands airily, demonstrating both that he meant no harm and, more importantly, that he 123 wasn't armed. He wished he'd had the foresight to put his gla.s.ses on a man like Kendle would never hit a chap wearing gla.s.ses, would he?

'I was just wondering, that's all. How the pair of you hooked up. Why you're so loyal to her. That's all. Nothing else.'

Whatever offence Kendle had taken, he seemed prepared to accept this as an apology. He sat back down in his seat. 'She's my niece,' he told the Doctor.

'You're her uncle!' the Doctor said, genuinely caught out by this revelation.

'That's how it usually works. She's my late sister's daughter.'

'An uncle, the uncle,' repeated the Doctor, running the new information through his head like a computer accepting new data. 'Uncle Kendle the Marine. Right. . . You said your sister was dead?'

Kendle bowed his head.

'Petra was just ten when it happened. My sister and brother-in-law were members of Guillan's crew. She saw them leave on board the Armstrong Armstrong and they came back in coffins.' and they came back in coffins.'

The Doctor nodded. It was all beginning to make sense now.

'It was just one of those terrible things. I was away, fighting in the war. I came back and took Petra in.'

'You brought her up?'

'She was my sister's only child,' he replied simply, as if that said everything, and in a way it did.

'You must be proud of her. She seems to have turned out really well, all things considered,' the Doctor said after a pause. Kendle raised his head and looked the Doctor squarely in the eyes.

'Do you really think so?'

The Doctor hesitated, for once choosing not to fill a silence with a stream of words.

'She used to be a jolly little girl,' continued Kendle. 'Always laughing.'

He got up and made himself busy at another console. Even though Kendle's back was turned, the Doctor could tell he was tearful at the memory.124.

'I don't think I've seen her laugh since her parents died.'

'Grief can be a terrible thing,' the Doctor suggested sympathetically. Kendle spun round to face the Doctor. 'But it has to end some time. You have to move on.'

'And she hasn't?'

Kendle sat back against the console. 'I just don't know. She doesn't ever talk about it. She's so driven. First it was to complete her schooling. Then it was to get every higher academic qualification she could. And finally she began researching s.p.a.ce lore, all the myths and legends of the last frontier.'

'All of which eventually brought her here. To paradise.'

Kendle nodded. 'But do you think it will make her happy?' He then shook his head sadly before answering his own question. 'I myself rather doubt it. . . '

The Doctor decided it was only fair to leave the man alone with his private thoughts. But as he went to see how the others were getting on, he had a lot of new information to mull over. In the lab Hespell and Baker were already engaged in the business of producing a sufficient quant.i.ty of the jinnen mixture. Rez was watching, fascinated, but Kaylen was wandering round the lab, looking very uncomfortable, like a trapped animal.

'How are you doing?' asked the Doctor, as he strode in.

'Not long now,' Hespell reported.

A large tank had been filled with brown liquid, which was bubbling away furiously. It resembled alchemy more than science, but the Doctor smiled his approval regardless. He then turned his attention to Kaylen, who was still looking at everything with a mixture of fear and apprehension.

'All a bit much for you?' he asked. 'All this. . . ' He waved an arm around the room, but his gesture took in the entire s.p.a.ceship. Kaylen nodded, grateful for his understanding.

'I think I'll get back to the village,' she suggested nervously. The Doctor frowned. 'It's getting dark out there.'125.

Kaylen gave him a shy shrug. 'I know my way through the forest. I know where the traps are.'

'Traps?' queried the Doctor. 'What traps?'

Rose was finding it increasingly difficult to see where she was treading. The canopy of leaves, coupled with the setting sun, meant that it was getting very dark at ground level and she kept tripping over raised roots.

Even the professor, who was by now very hot and sweaty, had agreed to slow down, fearing that their headlong pace might give them both twisted ankles. 'How far away are these ruins, then?' she demanded.

Rose wasn't sure she could answer with any authority. She had a mental picture of the relative positions of the village, the s.p.a.ceship and the ruined city, and in her head at least they were equidistant, about five kilometres apart. She couldn't be certain, but she imagined that they'd been walking for well over an hour by now. Surely that was long enough to cover five kilometres?

'It can't be far now,' she said, but the professor didn't looked very convinced.

A nearby tree had low-slung branches that offered an easy climb and, to Rose's surprise, the older woman suddenly grabbed one and started up the tree.

'What are you doing?' Rose cried in surprise.

The professor, showing skills that would flatter a monkey, was already disappearing into the higher reaches. She was now high enough to push her head through the top branches and look out over the rest of the forest.

'I'm getting our bearings, of course,' she replied. 'And I can see something, some kind of tower.'

'That'll be the central temple, then,' Rose told her. As quickly as she had climbed the tree, the professor descended. 'It's over that way,' she said, with a 'told you so' look. She was pointing away from the path. 'The Laylorans said to keep to the path,' Rose reminded her.126.

The shortest way between two points is a straight line,' replied the professor. 'This path may be a lot of things, but it isn't straight.'

Without waiting for any further discussion, she set off in the direction she had indicated. Rose had no choice but to follow her. Two minutes later disaster struck. It happened very quickly: one moment the professor had been walking along in front of her and the next she was gone. The ground seemed to collapse under her feet. Rose realised that what had appeared to be a solid carpet of leaves and undergrowth was, in fact, just a thin covering that concealed a deep pit.

Rose crept closer to the edge and peered into the darkness. 'Are you all right?' she called down, unable to make out anything in the gloom.

'Just the odd bruise,' the professor's voice floated up from the blackness. 'No major damage. Apart from to my pride, of course.'

It was the nearest thing to a joke that Rose had ever heard from the professor. The woman must be in shock, she thought, a little unkindly. Now that her eyes were adjusting to the light, Rose could make out the figure of the professor, sitting on the floor of the pit some four metres below. It was a long drop but some of the matting that had concealed the pit had fallen with her and cushioned the impact.

'I'll try and find something to get you out,' Rose said, but the professor just shook her head in response.

'Go back to the ship. Get help from there,' she instructed, but it was too late. Rose had already moved away.

The sun had all but disappeared now, making it hard to discern very much at all. Rose saw that several of the plants round about resembled vines; perhaps she could make some kind of rope? Taking care not to fall into any traps herself, she began to collect suitable vines, winding them round her arm like a garden hose. She was about to head back in the direction of the pit and the professor when, from somewhere nearby, a twig cracked and she could hear rustling in the undergrowth..