The tall youth said, 'Where are you from, old one?'

'Old one?' The Doctor glared indignantly at him.

'What station did you disgrace with your miserable presence, water thief?'

'Look, I may look old to you, whiskerless youth, but I'll have you know I'm in the prime of life. I'm not a day over nine hundred years old. Now, untie me at once.'

'You will be untied as soon as we are ready for the stoning.'

The Doctor noticed that quite a little crowd was gathering. They all seemed to be carrying baskets, the Doctor realized. And the baskets all seemed to be filled with rocks.

The Doctor turned back to his interrogator, who seemed to be in charge. 'Just who are you?'

'My name is Balazar. I am the reader of the books.'

'What books are those?'

'Ancient books from the world before the Fire.

They contain much wisdom for those who can interpret their meaning. Here in Marb Station we have three.'

'Three? That's splendid! What are they called?'

'They are called the Books of Knowledge.'

The Doctor sighed. 'Each book must have its own name, Balazar. It's usually written on the front.'

Importantly Balazar cleared his throat. 'One of our books is called Moby d.i.c.k Moby d.i.c.k, by Herman Melville. It tells of a great white water G.o.d, and has many mystical pa.s.sages.'

'Yes, I've read it,' said the Doctor intrigued. 'What about the others?'

'How can you have read it?' demanded Balazar.' The sacred books belong to Marb - old one!'

'Will you stop calling me old one? I am known as the Doctor. What other books do you read?'

' The Water Babies The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley. This tells of life long before the Fire.' by Charles Kingsley. This tells of life long before the Fire.'

'Sounds a rum sort of library to me. What's your third book?' Balazar lowered his voice. 'It is the most mysterious of all. It is called. "UK Habitats of the Canadian Goose". It is by HM Stationery Office.'

'What do you call this place?' asked the Doctor suddenly.

'Marb Station.'

'No, I mean the whole world, everything?'

Balazar gave him a puzzled look. 'It is called UK Habitat.'

Dibber stared moodily out of the barred window of the but in which he and Glitz had been confined and saw a dishevelled, struggling figure being dragged through the village by two masked warriors.

'They've got that woman we saw earlier.'

Glitz wasn't interested. He was still brooding over his capture.

I don't understand it, Dibber. They're savages.'

'Well, don't let it get you down, Mr Glitz.'

'What went wrong? That old hag took our guns away, just like that. How can we we be be their their prisoners?' prisoners?'

Dibber shrugged philosophically. 'Told you it was risky, coming here.'

'Now you know what I mean about compet.i.tion,' said Glitz bitterly. 'It gets you nowhere.'

'Told you we should have blasted them, Mr Glitz.'

'All right, Dibber, you've made your point!' snarled Glitz.

Dibber relapsed into an offended silence.

Balazar untied the Doctor and led him solicitiously to the centre of the open area, well away from the water vials. 'I think it best that you stand here.'

The Doctor looked round. 'Why?'

'In case some stray stone breaks the water vessels,' said Balazar reprovingly. 'People get very excited at these stonings.'

'I'm not excited,' said the Doctor.

Picking up his umbrella he turned to face the stoning squad.

Salazar stepped to one side. 'Ready?'

An excited murmur went up from the crowd. A good stoning was almost the only bit of entertainment they ever got.

'Steady... go!' shouted Salazar.

As the first stones were hurled, the Doctor snapped open his big umbrella, using it as a s.h.i.+eld. 'Roll up, roll up!' he taunted.

With a roar of disappointment, the stoners redoubled their efforts. For a time the Doctor was able to fend off the hail of missiles but suddenly a stray rock got under his guard, taking him in the temple.

The Doctor staggered back and fell...

In the Courtroom the screen went blank.

'Why stop it at the best bit?' protested the Doctor. was rather enjoying that.'

'I'm sure you were, Doctor,' said the Valeyard.

'Clever, eh, that trick with the umbrella?'

'Most ingenious, Doctor.'

'Well, I always like to do the unexpected, take people by surprise.'

'See how he takes pride in his interference,' thundered the Valeyard. 'Hear how he boasts! This is not the behaviour of a responsible Time Lord.'

'We are aware of that, Valeyard,' said the Inquisitor coldly. 'What point are you trying to make?'

The Valeyard sprang to his feet. 'These proceedings began as a mere Inquiry into the Doctor's activities. I now suggest that they become a Trial. And if he is found guilty I strongly recommend the termination of his life!'

5.

The Reprieve The Doctor sat back in his chair, and looked thoughtfully at the Valeyard. 'So you want me dead, eh?'

There is something very wrong here, thought the Doctor.

Something very odd about this trial, or enquiry, or whatever it is.

Time Lord justice could be politically influenced, even corrupt at time, but this was something quite extraordinary.

As if to confirm the Doctor's suspicions the Inquisitor said, 'What the Valeyard wants and what the Court decides are two entirely different things, Doctor.'

The Valeyard bowed, his sudden fit of anger choked off.

The Doctor bowed too. 'Thank you, My Lady.'

'Proceed, Valeyard,' said the Inquisitor frostily.

The Valeyard bowed again, and the screen lit up.

Once again the Doctor saw himself felled by a rock thrown at close range...

There was a roar of triumph from the crowd as the Doctor fell, and his attackers gathered round to finish him off.

Suddenly an alarm siren cut through the excited shouts.

Balazar held up his hands. 'The train guards!'

From out of the nearby tunnel an extraordinary vehicle glided into the open area. It was an electric truck with a uniformed driver at the controls and half a dozen guards sitting back to back in two rows of three on a trailer.

Behind the driver sat the Chief Guard called Grell, the black-clad Merdeen beside him.

The little train glided to a halt, the guards jumped down and the yellow-clad work-units fell respectfully silent.

The dreaded train guards patrolled the tunnels day and night, alert for enemies from above ground or offences against the laws of the Immortal.

'This station is a work-unit over strength,' announced Merdeen. 'There must be a cull.'

Balazar stepped forward, pointing to the body of the Doctor. 'It is being dealt with,' he said proudly.

Merdeen studied the body curiously. 'See that he is dead, Grell.'

He turned to Balazar. 'Where is he from?'

'I do not know. He told many lies. He even said he had read our sacred books.'

Grell was kneeling by the Doctors body. 'He still breathes.'

'Then kill him,' said Merdeen.

Grell drew his blaster and put the muzzle to the Doctor's head.

In the main control room, Drathro the Immortal was studying the scene on his monitor.

'Stop!' he boomed.

Merdeen and Merdeen alone, heard the voice from the transceiver implanted in his helmet. 'Wait!' he ordered.

The Immortal speaks.'

Grell lowered his blaster.

After a moment Merdeen said, 'The Immortal wishes to question the stranger. How near death is he?'

Grell put a hand to the pulse in the Doctor's neck. 'He is merely stunned.'

Merdeen turned to two of the guards. 'Pick him up.'

The guards hauled the Doctor to his feet.

Merdeen turned to Grell. 'Resume patrol.'

'Why not transport the stranger on the train?'