Turlough, now that you’ve explained everything to me.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ It was a weight off Turlough’s mind.
‘In fact, I’m very heartened you felt able to confide in me like this.’ The Headmaster smiled like a Dutch uncle.
‘Though I must say, it’s a most remarkable story.’
‘But what am I to do, sir!’
‘It seems to me you’re in something of a moral dilemma.’
‘Sir?’
‘You’ve accepted a free passage home to your own people, but, to fulfil your part of the bargain, you have to kill this Doctor.’
Turlough thought for a moment. ‘But I don’t want to kill the Doctor.’
The Headmaster nodded. ‘I can see you’re in a most invidious position.’
The more he thought about it, the more Turlough felt hard done by. ‘Haven’t I done enough to separate him from his TARDIS?’
‘I take your point, but in your heart of hearts, do you think you’ve entirely completed your side of the bargain?’
Reluctantly Turlough conceded that he had not. ‘Help me, sir!’ he pleaded.
‘I’m afraid I can only put the problem in perspective.’
The Head was like a wise old judge summing up for a simple-minded jury. ‘The final choice has got to be yours, Turlough.’
Turlough made up his mind. ‘I think I’m pulling out, sir. The Doctor’s stranded but what’s been done for me?
I’ve been ignored!’ A plan was forming in his mind. ‘I shall try and escape in the transmat capsule. He can sort out the Doctor for himself from now on.’
The Headmaster walked slowly over to the window and gazed out at the lake. ‘Is that your final decision?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘Yes!’ replied Turlough defiantly.
He screamed as the Headmaster turned from the window and was transformed instantly into the Black Guardian.
‘Waking, sleeping, you can never escape me, Turlough!’
As Turlough leaped from the bed to the door he felt a tearing sensation, and the hand that reached for the lock passed unfeelingly through the solid material. He looked back at the bed where a boy lay sleeping fitfully. Once more he faced the evil stranger, utterly vulnerable, an astral projection of himself.
‘You see, wretched duplicitous child, I know your every innermost thought!’ proclaimed the Black Guardian, hovering by the window like a huge bat.
Horrorstruck, Turlough realised that the dark stranger was lodged in his own mind. Every person, every object could be transformed — through his eyes — into the man in black, at the will of his so-called Guardian. It was the evil stranger within him who had impersonated the Headmaster and invaded his dreams to dupe him into revealing his secret intentions. ‘Leave me alone,’ he begged.
The Black Guardian glided slowly towards the boy.
There was no doubting his ruthless, vengeful implacability. ‘I invade every particle of your being,’ he hissed. ‘You will never be free of me until our bond is honoured.’
‘The Doctor is a good man!’ protested Turlough.
‘I am the Black Guardian,’ thundered the stranger. ‘His good is my evil.’
‘No!’ screamed Turlough.
‘You will absorb my will. You will be consumed with my purpose!’ commanded the Black Guardian. ‘The Doctor shall be destroyed!’
Turlough knew nothing of the Doctor’s combat with the Black Guardian over the Key to Time, or of how he was a mere pawn in the evil creature’s game of revenge. He knew only that he was one with the forces of darkness. ‘The Doctor shall be destroyed,’ he whispered obediently.
The Black Guardian was visible no more and the astral Turlough returned to the sleeping body.
He twisted and turned between the sheets like a wild beast in a snare, then cried out and sat bolt upright, shaking uncontrollably.
The cube rested innocently on the bedside table.
Turlough gave it one look, tore back the bedclothes and rushed to the door. It was still locked.
He glanced nervously back at the table. The cube remained
‘Thank you, sir.’ It was a weight off Turlough’s mind.
‘In fact, I’m very heartened you felt able to confide in me like this.’ The Headmaster smiled like a Dutch uncle.
‘Though I must say, it’s a most remarkable story.’
‘But what am I to do, sir!’
‘It seems to me you’re in something of a moral dilemma.’
‘Sir?’
‘You’ve accepted a free passage home to your own people, but, to fulfil your part of the bargain, you have to kill this Doctor.’
Turlough thought for a moment. ‘But I don’t want to kill the Doctor.’
The Headmaster nodded. ‘I can see you’re in a most invidious position.’
The more he thought about it, the more Turlough felt hard done by. ‘Haven’t I done enough to separate him from his TARDIS?’
‘I take your point, but in your heart of hearts, do you think you’ve entirely completed your side of the bargain?’
Reluctantly Turlough conceded that he had not. ‘Help me, sir!’ he pleaded.
‘I’m afraid I can only put the problem in perspective.’
The Head was like a wise old judge summing up for a simple-minded jury. ‘The final choice has got to be yours, Turlough.’
Turlough made up his mind. ‘I think I’m pulling out, sir. The Doctor’s stranded but what’s been done for me?
I’ve been ignored!’ A plan was forming in his mind. ‘I shall try and escape in the transmat capsule. He can sort out the Doctor for himself from now on.’
The Headmaster walked slowly over to the window and gazed out at the lake. ‘Is that your final decision?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘Yes!’ replied Turlough defiantly.
He screamed as the Headmaster turned from the window and was transformed instantly into the Black Guardian.
‘Waking, sleeping, you can never escape me, Turlough!’
As Turlough leaped from the bed to the door he felt a tearing sensation, and the hand that reached for the lock passed unfeelingly through the solid material. He looked back at the bed where a boy lay sleeping fitfully. Once more he faced the evil stranger, utterly vulnerable, an astral projection of himself.
‘You see, wretched duplicitous child, I know your every innermost thought!’ proclaimed the Black Guardian, hovering by the window like a huge bat.
Horrorstruck, Turlough realised that the dark stranger was lodged in his own mind. Every person, every object could be transformed — through his eyes — into the man in black, at the will of his so-called Guardian. It was the evil stranger within him who had impersonated the Headmaster and invaded his dreams to dupe him into revealing his secret intentions. ‘Leave me alone,’ he begged.
The Black Guardian glided slowly towards the boy.
There was no doubting his ruthless, vengeful implacability. ‘I invade every particle of your being,’ he hissed. ‘You will never be free of me until our bond is honoured.’
‘The Doctor is a good man!’ protested Turlough.
‘I am the Black Guardian,’ thundered the stranger. ‘His good is my evil.’
‘No!’ screamed Turlough.
‘You will absorb my will. You will be consumed with my purpose!’ commanded the Black Guardian. ‘The Doctor shall be destroyed!’
Turlough knew nothing of the Doctor’s combat with the Black Guardian over the Key to Time, or of how he was a mere pawn in the evil creature’s game of revenge. He knew only that he was one with the forces of darkness. ‘The Doctor shall be destroyed,’ he whispered obediently.
The Black Guardian was visible no more and the astral Turlough returned to the sleeping body.
He twisted and turned between the sheets like a wild beast in a snare, then cried out and sat bolt upright, shaking uncontrollably.
The cube rested innocently on the bedside table.
Turlough gave it one look, tore back the bedclothes and rushed to the door. It was still locked.
He glanced nervously back at the table. The cube remained
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