At the same moment Noma noticed the Doctor. 'You certainly get around,' he smirked. 'I think you'd better come with me. The Lord Mestor would like a few words with you.'

'Where's Peri?' demanded the Doctor.

'Quite safe,' echoed a sickly, sibilant voice which definitely wasn't Noma's.

As the Doctor glanced around, wondering where the sound had come from, a hologram image started to form in the middle of the room.

It was Mestor, showing off again.

'Welcome to Jaconda, Doctor,' the voice hissed. 'Although I would have thought it more polite if you had announced your presence without me having to seek you out.'

'Actually I didn't come to see you. Although I'm sure you won't be disappointed in having me around,' the Doctor said casually.

'Especially as I think I can help you.'

Azmael stiffened, expecting Mestor to violently lose his temper.

' You help meT That's right,' chirped the Doctor. 'Azmael has been telling me of your plan to shift the orbit of two of your planets. Very impressive.'

As he spoke, the Doctor strolled through the hologram image of Mestor, something, instinct told him, the gastropod wouldn't like.

He was right.

A sudden roar filled the laboratory, but before Mestor could follow it up, the Doctor continued. 'Mind you, moving planets isn't for amateurs, you know. The twins may possess the mathematical knowledge, but I have the empirical skill, the practical experience that will guarantee success. I mean, one false move and the planet you're trying to shift could fly off in any direction.'

He paused. If Mestor was interested in what the Doctor was saying, he would be eager to hear more. If he continued to shout and bl.u.s.ter, then the Doctor knew he was in trouble.

There was silence.

Although Mestor considered himself clever, the psychological strategy of bullying a victim into submission was an uninspired one. Fear, induced by bullying, can only be a useful weapon when its user can deliver the coup de grace knowing he has nothing to lose.

Silence from a bully tells his opponent far too much.

If Mestor had been as clever as he thought he was, he would have learnt that a quieter way to domination leaves the opponent far more shattered than the loudest shout.

Not only did the Doctor know he had Mestor's interest, his silence also told him he was less certain of his skill in successfully manoeuvring the planets than he was letting on.

'Well?' the Doctor said at last. 'Are you interested in my help?'

'Why should I want you to help me?'

'I would rather you were successful in your aims, than you destroy this part of the universe.'

'You are telling the truth, Time Lord?'

The Doctor let out a high-pitched, nervous laugh he had intended to sound ironic. In spite of his confidence, the pressure was beginning to tell on him as well.

In an attempt to correct his error, the Doctor pulled his voice down a full half octave and said with as much a.s.surance as he could muster, 'You should know. I can sense your presence in my mind.'

'Then why do you resist me?'

'I'm secretive by nature. Anyway, if you were to learn everything too soon, you would have little reason to keep me alive.'

True, Doctor.' Mestor's voice was now hard and cold, aware that the Time Lord was playing with him. 'You may serve me, but should I sense any deception on your part, than I shall have you put to death immediately.'

'Oh, absolutely,' said the Doctor dismissively. 'But before I start work, I have one request to make.'

The Doctor mentally crossed his fingers. 'I believe you have a friend of mine prisoner.'

The woman from Earth. She is here.'

'I shall need her to a.s.sist me.'

The hologram flickered and the Doctor feared that its disappearance would be Mestor's dismissive answer.

'I have scanned her mind. It contains little but a scant knowledge of botany and certainly nothing that would a.s.sist you in your task.'

The Doctor cleared his throat. 'When I say I require her a.s.sistance, I mean that in a metaphorical way. Her presence inspires within me a certain tranquility that is most useful if I am to do my best work.'

Again, the hologram flickered. 'Oh, very well,' said Mestor. 'You may have your intellectual prop.'

Inside his head, the Doctor gave a small cheer. If anyone was numbering the rounds, he had definitely won the first. 'I am indeed grateful, Lord Mestor.'

As he spoke, the Doctor glanced at the grey, drawn face of Azmael. The poor man looked as though he was about to collapse.

'Perhaps you could do me one last favour,' he said cheekily.

'Azmael is in need of a mild stimulant. Perhaps Peri could bring a bottle of Voxnic with her.'

There was a loud roar and the hologram disappeared.

'Incredible,' muttered Azmael. 'I've never heard anyone talk to Mestor in such a manner and live.'

This is just the beginning,' the Doctor teased.

The next time you do something as foolish, I would be grateful for prior warning. I'm too old to cope with this sort of strain.'

A groan from a slumped figure, perched precariously on a hard, wooden chair, served to announce that Lieutenant Hugo Lang was regaining consciousness. Drak, for ever caring and vigilant, crossed to attend to him.

In spite of his initial victory, the Doctor still felt uneasy.

Something wasn't quite right. The astronomical model still worried him and, in spite of everything, Mestor had given in just a little too easily.

But before the air of triumph was allowed to fade, the Doctor ordered the guards with the exception of Drak from the laboratory.

It would be difficult enough to operate knowing that Mestor could tune in whenever he wanted without having guards looking over his shoulder.

Much to everyone's amazement they left without argument. But then seconds before the Doctor had uttered his command, Mestor had ordered them to leave and find his TARDIS.

If the Doctor was planning to escape, Mestor had reasoned, he certainly wasn't going to make it easy for him.

As the Doctor, deep in thought, paced up and down the laboratory, the door opened and, clutching a large bottle of Voxnic, Peri sheepishly entered.

Thanks for getting me out of trouble,' she mewed.

The Doctor dismissed her thanks with a wave of the hand and continued his pacing.

As he did so, Azmael, Hugo and Drak fell on the bottle of Voxnic and quickly poured and drank a large beakerful each. As they refilled their cups with more of the golden liquid, Azmael enquired if anyone else wanted a drink. The Doctor didn't answer and Peri shook her head politely.

Although the twins showed great interest, Azmael, somewhat paternally, decided they were too young, but in reality, felt his need was greater than theirs.

As Azmael downed his second beaker, the familiar glow the twins knew only too well from their father spread slowly across his face.

Even Peri noticed the change and thought she might try a little herself. As she picked up the bottle, the Doctor let out a sudden shout.

'That's it! I knew there was something wrong.'

His voice sounded a little manic and it worried Peri. 'Are you all right?'

'Of course I'm all right,' he shouted, s.n.a.t.c.hing up the Voxnic and taking a large mouthful. 'I'm certainly all right. It's the situation that's wrong!'

He slammed the bottle down on the table as though to enforce his statement. 'Look at this,' he said crossing to the astronomical model. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, Azmael, but you said this model was to scale.'

The elderly Time Lord nodded.

Then look at the planets to be moved,' he said prodding each of them in turn. 'Both of them are smaller than Jaconda.'

That was obvious.

The Doctor turned to Azmael who was about to slurp his way through a third beakerful of Voxnic. Think of the consequences, old friend, if those planets should be brought into the same orbit as Jaconda.'

Azmael did, but nothing startling occurred to him.

Think again,' the Doctor insisted. 'It's a matter of simple physics.'

Simple or not, Azmael still couldn't see what he was supposed to.

'Can't you give us a clue?' prompted Peri.

The Doctor thought for a moment. The gravitational pull of the sun on Jaconda is more or less constant. Yes?'

Peri shrugged. Til take your word for it.'

'Place the two smaller planets in the same orbit as Jaconda and how long do you think they'd remain there?'

Slowly Azmael placed his beaker on the table. 'Why didn't I realise?' he stammered. They wouldn't last any time at all.'

'Why not?' enquired Peri.

'Because their orbit would rapidly decay and they would crash into the sun.' Azmael buried his head in his hands. 'Why, oh why didn't I think of that myself?'

The Doctor placed a rea.s.suring arm around his old friend's shoulder. 'Your mind has been on other things.'

'But I should have known at once,' wailed Azmael. 'You're absolutely right. It's basic physics.'

'And when the planet hits the sun,' muttered Hugo, 'it'll be like the birth of a super nova.'

The Doctor glanced at Hugo as though he had forgotten he was in the room. That's right.'

Hugo emptied his beaker. 'Do you think Mestor knows what will happen?'

The Doctor nodded.

Then why does he allow it?' said Peri. 'He'll be killed too.'

The Doctor smiled at her naivety. 'I have the feeling he'll be long gone by then.'

Watched by Drak, the group settled into an atmosphere of silent depression. Yet the same question pounded through each and every brain in the room: what did Meslor hope to achieve by deliberately destroying his own sun?

Soon they would find out.

10.

END GAME, PART TWO.

The Doctor stared at the gla.s.s part.i.tion which separated Mestor's hatchery from the laboratory area, and allowed his mind to flick through the many pages of his long memory, hoping some half-forgotten incident might jog his inspiration into solving the current problem.

But it didn't.

All he seemed able to recall were faces and fragments of incidents, some of which he would rather have forgotten.