"Oh!" "Why did you stop it at the best bit?" "I was rather enjoying that." "I'm sure you were." "Clever, eh?" "That trick with the umbrella." "Most ingenious, my dear Doctor." "Oh, I always like to do the unexpected." "Takes people by surprise." "Hear how the Doctor takes pride in his interference." "Hear how he boasts." "This is not the reaction of a responsible Time Lord." "We are all aware of that, Valeyard." "What is the point you are trying to make?" "These proceedings started as a mere inquiry into the Doctor's activities." "I'm suggesting now that it becomes a trial." "And if he is found guilty," "I strongly suggest the termination of his life." "So, you want me dead, eh?" "What the Valeyard wants and what the court decides are two entirely different things, Doctor." "Thank you, my lady." "Proceed, Valeyard." "Train guards!" "This station is a work unit over committed strength." "There must be a cull." "It has been dealt with." "See that he is dead, Grell." "Where is he from?" "I don't know." "He told many lies, even that he had read our sacred books." "He still breathes." "Then kill him." "Stop." "Wait, the Immortal speaks." "He now wishes to question the stranger." "How near death is he?" "Merely stunned." "Pick him up." "Grell, patrol." "Why not transport him on the train?" "I said patrol." "You, come with me." "I, sir?" "You have spoken with the stranger." "If he dies, the Immortal may wish to question you about him." "Welcome, girl." "Hi." "Rise." "You are not from the place of the underground." "Where are you from?" "Well, it's kind of difficult to explain." "My name is Katryca, I am the leader of the Free." "Do you have a name, girl?" "Perpugilliam Brown, but my friends call me Peri." "Peri." "Not many girls join the Free, Peri." "I shall provide some excellent husbands for you." "Husbands?" "Plural?" "Such women as we have must be shared." "Think about it." "Put her with the other prisoners." "Keep them guarded." "Oh." "All right, all right." "I can walk." "Tell me, Merdeen, you serve the Immortal." "Is he as men say?" "What do men say?" "That he is taller than two, with arms of steel." "The Immortal is never seen." "He stays in his castle." "How does he give you his commands?" "He talks to me through the air." "And he watches me with boxes." "I think this is called a camera, Merdeen." "The men of ancient times used such things to make pictures of the Canadian goose." "How do you know that, Balazar?" "It is my task to study the ancient texts." "About which you continually boast." "That's the trouble with pallid little swots like you, Balazar." "You can't even organise an efficient stoning." "It was only half over." "Oh." "You'd have been free of your troubles now if Merdeen and his train guards had not saved you." "Then I'm grateful to you, Merdeen." "It was on the orders of the Immortal." "Oh, well, please convey my thanks to him." "Is that water?" "Could I have some?" "It's my ration for the next two days." "Give it to him." "What?" "Give it to him." "Oh, yes, of course." "No, of course not." "I'd forgotten how important that stuff was down here." "Mono-optic system, eh?" "Very interesting." "Mmm." "And is the Immortal on the other end of that?" "Extremely ugly." "Hideous in the extreme." "Physiognomy is irrelevant." "In so far as..." "Appearance has no function." "But function has an appearance." "Which is irrelevant to the function." "Perfect." "I must write that down." "I will make an equation of it." "Cease your prattle." "Of course, sir." "At once, sir." "Activate the service robot." "Now!" "Ah, it seems we have a pretty visitor." "I'm beginning to feel better already." "Sabalom Glitz, my dear." "And this youth with the vacuous expression and single-track mind is Dibber." "Peri." "Ah." "Well, obviously you're not from round here." "Merely visiting, like your good self." "Well, I hope my visit's very short." "And that doesn't look like it's from round here either." "It's a light converter." "A what?" "It funnels black light energy down to the L3." "That's why we have to knock it out." "Dibber!" "I'm sure Peri isn't interested in professional matters." "Oh, you're right, Mr Glitz." "Yeah." "When we first saw you, Peri, you were not alone." "That's right, you were with a dilly in a long coat." "But he disappeared down the tunnel before we could..." "Before we could leap forward and make your acquaintance, eh, Dibber?" "Yeah, that's it." "Where is your friend now?" "The Doctor?" "Oh, he's probably still down there." "For a Time Lord, he's not very good at keeping time." "The Doctor is a Time Lord?" "So that's how he knew where to go." "What do you mean?" "Sent him, did they?" "Who?" "The Time Lords, my dear." "As my friend says, he must be acting on their behalf." "I don't think the Doctor's acting on anyone's behalf." "So, he's a freelance like myself." "Possibly we can reach an accommodation here, my boy." "Two rogues with but a single thought." "How long has the Immortal lived in his so-called castle?" "Since the fire." "Oh, 500 years?" "I do not know, Doctor." "He was sent to save our lives many centuries ago." "Hmm." "And he never goes out and nobody ever comes in?" "Only the young men who pass the selection." "What selection?" "To find the two cleverest youths." "They go to the castle." "Why?" "It is said the Immortal eats them." "Never believe what is said, Balazar." "Only what you know." "Why are we doing this?" "Because sir ordered it." "It may be needed." "These bars remind me of home." "I reckon I could bite me way through them." "Relax, Dibber." "I'll find a way to win the confidence of these simple peasants." "Well, I'd like to get out of here." "Katryca said something about choosing husbands for me." "There you are." "Obviously she's a romantic at heart." "Well, so am I, but not romantic enough to want more than one husband." "Where we come from, a woman can have as many as six." "Oh, it's very similar on my planet." "Except we usually have them one at a time." "I should like to stand in paterfamilias for your absent father and give you away, my dear." "But I always cry at these moments of deep sentiment." "I think we should help her get out." "No, no, dear boy." "We may need these brutish primitives." "Well, what for?" "This shows a layout of the tunnel system, all hermetically sealed." "If we can persuade Katryca's people to drive a shaft into the centre, we can fill them with gas." "Kill them?" "The people Katryca calls underground dwellers?" "That would be mass murder!" "I'm sure my conscience will prick a little, but where money is concerned, that doesn't usually last long." "Oh, you can't do it!" "I think it will be pretty simple." "Don't forget, this is a high-risk business venture, Peri." "The people down there take the risk, I take the profits." "That still leaves the L3." "And what chance would the robot have without a labour force?" "It'll probably be quicker than trying to destroy its black light supply." "Come with me." "You enter here, Doctor." "Ah." "No need to knock, I imagine." "Will I be needed?" "No." "Lucky old you." "When you are in the Immortal's presence, you will cast your eyes to the ground." "Will I?" "It is forbidden to look upon him." "On pain of being turned into a pillar of salt, I imagine, that sort of thing?" "You will not find it wise to mock the Immortal." "Doubtless your body will be returned to me before this day is out." "Oh, Merdeen, why don't you just push off and guard some trains, eh?" "Ah, dear lady." "I knew once you'd had time to consider..." "Be silent, fat one!" "I have studied the fires." "There is anger in them." "Anger?" "You have travelled from beyond the stars." "Your intention, to steal our Great Totem." "Only a sacrifice in the flames will propitiate the gods." "All of us?" "No." "Only you are the chosen one, Sabalom Glitz." "Me!" "Are you insane?" "I'm wanted in six different galaxies for crimes you couldn't even imagine." "Do you think an old hag like you can bring me down?" "The pyre is being built." "You will be brought when your time is due." "Uh..." "This is my best side." "The arrogance!" "Can't wait to see how he's been programmed." "I have been waiting for this day." "Welcome at last." "You're expecting me?" "For centuries." "I am Drathro." "An L3 robot." "Then I fear you are under a slight misapprehension, Drathro." "I only decided to come here yesterday." "You are not from Andromeda?" "Then where are you from?" "Gallifrey originally, though I travel around a lot." "I have heard of Gallifrey." "An advanced civilisation." "In some ways." "I apologise for my error." "Oh, that's all right." "Even immortals make the odd mistake every few millennia." "I am not immortal!" "Oh." "Well, the locals round here seem to think you are." "These are my assistants, Tandrell and Humker." "You will work with them." "Will I?" "Why?" "Because I command it." "Oh, and you are obviously a robot used to getting your own way." "This is remarkable, Drathro!" "Most impressive." "Even the texture has an organic warmth." "Do stop prodding me." "There's a good fellow." "The Doctor is not a robot." "He is an organic from an advanced civilisation." "An organic?" "We've not met an organic since we passed the selection." "Ah, I knew you two hadn't ended up for lunch." "Explain." "Never mind." "What is this work you want me to do?" "Is this relevant testimony, Valeyard?" "We seem to be straying from the point." "Circumstantially germane, my lady, in that it is part of the prosecution's case that the Doctor introduces a disruptive and corrupting influence wherever he goes." "Sheer poppycock!" "If the Doctor had not visited Ravalox, then the whole chain of events we are witnessing would not have been set in motion." "How can the Boatyard make that claim?" "What might or might not have happened is entirely speculative." "That is for me to decide, Doctor." "And may I remind you, the charge you face is grave indeed." "Oh." "I only have to look at the Graveyard to see that, ma'am." "Your puerile attempts at flippancy are not appreciated in this court, Doctor." "Proceed, Valeyard." "Have you found the fault yet?" "Mmm." "Give me a chance." "I've only just started." "The black light system is indicating incipient failure." "Yeah, I can see that, but they don't last forever, you know." "I am trained only in installation and maintenance." "Oh, yeah, very useful, too." "That's where the money is." "I have trained these humans to study the problem, but they make no progress." "Well, black light is very tricky stuff, Drathro." "I have a learning capacity, but my processors of ratiocination are logical." "Organics often eliminate such steps." "It's called intuition." "Your first task will be to restructure the system." "Well, just a minute." "Black light is not my field!" "Then you will make it so or die!" "I protest!" "What now?" "Yes, now!" "I meant, what are you protesting about this time?" "I am charged with interfering." "Yet it's blatantly obvious to a blind spielsnape that I am working under duress." "That does seem a valid point." "What is the relevance of your presentation?" "If the accused hadn't interrupted, my lady, the point I wish to make would have become obvious." "Oh, then I apologise for my outburst." "As your ladyship is aware, I am unfamiliar, unlike the Valeyard, with court procedure." "The court accepts your apology, Doctor." "Proceed." "What a terrible waste." "You're telling me?" "No, I meant the wood." "Now if I was handling this execution," "I'd go to a bullet in the back of the head." "Much more economical." "He has a point." "Of all the snivelling screeves to be stuck with in my moment of need," "I have to get you two." "I know." "Depressing, isn't it?" "Oh, I'm sorry, Drathro." "There's not a lot I can do down here." "I order you to work!" "Well, you can play at being the slave driver all you like, but the fault doesn't lie down here." "There must be a collection aerial out on the surface which is malfunctioning." "I'll just pop up and have a look at it." "You will remain here and proceed with your appointed task." "I think you must have fluff in your audio circuit." "What's all this stuff for, anyway?" "It provides Drathro with his energy source." "It was also to maintain the three Sleepers until they could be returned to Andromeda." "The three Sleepers?" "They are dead now." "The relief ships failed to arrive." "I see." "Well, if this power failure is allowed to get any worse," "we'll all be dead soon." "Why?" "Because there will be an enormous explosion." "Now, I can't impress upon you how urgent it is" "I go up and look at that converter's aerial." "A transparent means to escape." "Get on with the work." "Oh, how do you put up with him?" "Thank you." "Tell me, why is water so important down here?" "The condensation plants produce only enough for 500 work units." "But it was raining buckets outside, or it was when I arrived." "I am aware that precipitation has returned to normal." "Then why don't you let everyone just pop up and help themselves?" "My instructions were to maintain an underground survival system." "Inflexible little fellow, aren't you?" "Here, hold that." "Well, come on." "Aren't you supposed to be programmed to be user-friendly or something?" "Times like this one needs three hands, you know." "We bipeds are a very inefficient design." "You, Humbug, whatever your name is, hold that." "And you, Handbag, finger on the end there." "That's it, yes." "Well done, splendid, yes." "Well, that should just about do it." "Ah." "Look!" "Follow him." "Use your tracer disc." "He must be brought back unharmed." "Ready?" "Well done, Dibber." "Take this." "Always keep something up your sleeve, eh, Dibber?" "I want you to conceal yourself in some muddy crevice while Peri and I lead off the hunt." "What hunt?" "Oh, there'll be one soon." "As soon as you get the chance," "I want you to blow that light converter to bits." "And where do we meet up?" "The entrance to the tunnel." "Come on, Peri." "Majesty!" "How dare you!" "Forgive me, but the prisoners have escaped." "Take this." "Lead the young men in a hunting party." "They must not escape!" "The Doctor has absconded." "He must be found." "Yes, Immortal." "He should be killed." "Very slowly." "He hurt me." "I hate being hurt." "He hurt me more." "A subjective judgement." "He must not be killed." "I still need him." "Search area green." "Area red." "Quiet." "Should we not search for the Doctor?" "I said quiet." "Listen to me carefully." "You are a clever man." "I am the Reader." "People like you are needed on the surface." "I will direct you there." "The surface?" "But nothing lives there." "The fire..." "I said listen." "There is no fire." "There has been no fire for hundreds of years." "It is the only place you will be beyond the Immortal's reach." "Do you understand me?" "Well, what shall I do, Merdeen?" "How will I live?" "You will find others out there, many I have saved from the Immortal." "If the Immortal discovers this, you will die." "Why do you risk your life, Merdeen?" "I am sick of the cullings." "But I have to be careful." "I think Grell already suspects." "But what will you do?" "Find the Doctor and send him to you." "Come on!" "What is happening?" "This way." "Ah..." "Whoops!" "Wait, Doctor." "We mean you no harm." "You did the last time we met." "Things have changed." "Then let me pass, I have to get out of here." "Take Balazar with you." "Well, yes, all right." "What will you do?" "I must stay and help others." "I should be careful if I was you." "There's a robot following me who isn't in a very friendly mood." "Would you help us, Doctor, to crush the Immortal's power?" "Uh, yes..." "Um, perhaps." "But there's something I've got to do much more important first." "Come along, Balazar." "Stop!" "This is another prime example of the Doctor's interference." "You will note that he was in a position to free himself of the situation, yet deliberately chose not to." "I was trying to help." "Surely even a blockhead like you can see that!" "I think we should reserve judgement until the end of the sequence." "I agree!" "My lady." "It's beautiful!" "Hmm?" "Oh!" "Oh, I knew she wouldn't still be here." "That girl can't obey an order." "Doctor!" "Who are they?" "Peri!" "Hurry!" "Back inside." "Quick!" "In you go." "Come on!" "I always knew exercise was bad for you." "Shouldn't lie there if I was you." "Not unless you want to be killed" "with a spear in your back." "What?" "Did you do the job, my boy?" "Of course." "We've got to get out of here!" "But how?" "This way!" "Back." "Well, now what?" "I don't know." "I really think this could be the end."