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'I can do that. You must go and deal with Nuada. Stuart, you go with him.'

'I'll come too,' Stevens said.

The Doctor looked puzzled. 'Who are you?'

Stevens was slightly crestfallen that his presence had been overlooked. 'Inspector Stevens, Scotland Yard.'

'Paranormal Investigations Team?'

'You've heard of me!'

'No,' the Doctor shook his head, 'but I'm sure I will.' He patted his pockets and took out the spare tranquillizer darts. ‘Here you are, Goibhnie, you'd better take these. You may need them.'

He pressed them into Goibhnie's outstretched hand and turned to Dryfid. 'Come along. There is very little time to lose.'

At first it was only a trickle - the fleet of foot, the better positioned, those who had been prepared - but before long they poured on to the plain in front of Dinorben. A mass of distorted limbs, misshapen torsos, swollen faces with serrated teeth ready to rip and tear and chew. Some ran on four legs, others flew. Those which had been human occasionally took stumbling steps on two legs. All of them moved towards Dinorben.

The most horrifying thing about them was not the way their bodies sprouted uncontrollably, nor was it the way, occasionally, one would absorb another to make itself more powerful, leaving behind ashen, brittle remains. The most horrifying thing about them, as Ace would later tell the Doctor, was the terrible turmoil in their minds. A thousand minds crying out with an evil and loathing which even a telepathic inept could sense. Every one was psychotic, disturbed because of the living infection that encompassed their bodies and souls. They ran with murderous intent and bayed for blood.

Inside the encampment, the Sidhe waited nervously, their bushy tails flicking back and forth in distracted movements. The Firbolg polished their swords and made honourable pacts between families.

Even the Fomoir, their minds dulled by the soporific effects of the reborn sun, stirred restlessly - no worse fate could be conceived than to look on helplessly as others were slaughtered.

Stuart and Inspector Stevens followed Goibhnie into the dangerous blackness of the tunnel. A single torch burnt smokily at the entrance and Stuart took it from its bracket. Orange and red reflections shimmered up and down Goibhnie's side. Stuart suddenly shivered at the thought of what the alien might look like inside his protective suit - but, even more so, what lay at the end of the tunnel sent a chill wave across his flesh.

The small amount of light afforded by the torch made the darkness ahead seem all the more dense.

Animal sounds emanated from the darkness and there was a crunching under foot. Stuart looked down briefly - bones - and then concentrated on what was before him.

'Can you see anything?' he asked quietly.

'My perceptive functioning is slightly marred by the heat source you are carrying but I can detect three small organisms and one large organism. I would suggest that you extinguish your firebrand so that they do not have so much warning of our presence. I should go on alone.'

The two men exchanged a glance - both wanted to continue.

Stuart dropped the torch to the ground where it sputtered out. 'No, we'll keep with you.'

Stevens panicked momentarily at the silence and the thought that Goibhnie might have slipped away, but his eyes rapidly adjusted and picked out the thin shape beside him.

'Follow then. '

In front of them they heard a loud impact and the groan of wood under stress.

'They're trying to break open the doors,' Stuart observed. 'Can you shoot from here?'

‘My chances of disabling them would be appropriately high. '

Well , what are you waiting for?' hissed Stevens.

'Who's there?' Stevens recognized Jack’s voice. ‘Stay back, they're dangerous!'

'Professor is that you?' a girl's voice asked. 'Nuada and David have changed into ... ' Her voice was cut off by a growl of rage. Stuart heard the explosive outlet of gases as one of the tranquillizer darts was unleashed.

'Protect yourselves,' Goibhnie advised. Stuart dropped to the earth,