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Heads without nostrils and mouth, but with insect eyes. Claws readied for killing, stained yellow and red. Faces which might once have belonged to humans. All were disintegrated by the power of the semiorganic silicate transfer device.

So eager to get into Dinorben were they that the ranks at the back pushed the front line forward to their doom. Not all of the demons came through, but the few that remained would be hunted down by the people of Tír na n-Óg. Some managed to get through the Doctor's trap when Ace allowed her position to be taken over by another because she had grown weary. In the brief moment when contact with the stone was lost, two demons had passed through - but the Firbolg had rapidly dealt with them with flashing swords.

At the end of two hours, it was over.

17:

... And Back Again

Old Davy sat on the bench outside the Black Swan and pondered on the meaning of change. This unfortunate turn of events was necessitated by the lack of a pint glass for him to concentrate on. When he had arrived at the pub that morning he had found it locked and shut and though he had gone round the back to try to summon Arthur he had had no success. Davy wondered briefly what he should do about this and had eventually gone across to the post office and bought himself a bottle of milk. It wasn’t the same. Nor was the book which rested, unopened, upon his lap a normal feature. He would open it eventually and in his own time, however much of that he had left.

That afternoon he had seen Janet and Hugh out walking their dog. He hadn't seen them for some time, and he knew that memory could play tricks, but surely they shouldn't have looked so young? And their dog - as far as he could recall, they had had a black and white collie, not the hulking great Alsatian that had accompanied them. He'd greeted them all the same, and looked on curiously as they had examined the Doctor's police box.

Constable Hughes wasn't his normal self either. When Davy had brought up the matter of the stone that had been stolen from his wall, Hughes had hurriedly made excuses and left. Probably had a lot of more important work to do.

Davy pondered idly on changes and had even considered that maybe change might be heading his way too. He'd felt twinges in his chest recently but they could indicate anything. Perhaps he was heading for the ultimate change?

The Doctor and Ace, having escaped the grateful mob of Tír na n-Óg-ians, searched for the other people from Earth. As they walked, the Doctor explained all about Goibhnie.

'But,' asked Ace, when the Doctor had finished, 'how will Tír na n-Óg manage when the sun runs out of fuel again?'

'I'm not a panacea, Ace! I can't solve all their problems. Besides, I've given them about two thousand years' breathing space. If they're as canny as Tellurians, they'll be reaching to the stars by then. I don't foresee any difficulty.' He paused for a moment and looked about himself, felt the warmth of the sun as it should be instead of through the haze of excess carbon dioxide and depleted ozone. 'This world really is very pleasant at the moment. Something like the Earth of a few thousand years ago. It's almost a shame that industrialization will inevitably creep in.' He shook his head sadly and then walked on.

They found the Earth people in a small tent filled with the nickering light of candles. On a low trestle table, surrounded by dripping wax, lay David. There was a pleasant aroma of burning herbs which made the air seem slightly heavy.

'We should be going shortly,' the Doctor told them. 'Dryfid is eager to destroy the circle. Ace has given him some of her explosives and as soon as we've returned they'll finish it off.'

'There's still David to help,' Jack said. 'Inspector Stevens is going to perform an exorcism.'

Stevens greeted the Doctor. 'Book, bell and candle,' he said displaying the articles in question.

'Where did you get a copy of the Bible from?' Ace asked.

'It's Bathsheba's,' Stuart told her.

The Doctor looked around the tent. 'You haven't any holy water.'

'Do