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'Professor, there's no way back for them. They're stuck here on Earth. What are they going to do?'

'We . .. shall survive … somehow ...’

'I'm not sure I share your confidence. I'll leave a message for Inspector Stevens, get him to contact UNIT. They'll help you.'

UNIT was an acronym for the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, an international military organization which the Doctor had once worked for as scientific adviser. The Doctor still had many friends within UNIT and even Ace knew some of the top brass.

'Are you sure, Professor?'

'Oh yes, Lethbridge-Stewart is very fond of horses. And I'm sure that he has some pull still.'

'Thank ... Doctor . ..'

'That's all right, just try and keep out of trouble until then.’

They were at the gates now. 'This is Inspector Stevens's car, is it?'

'I think so. '

'Very silly, he's left the keys in the ignition. Not much a policeman.' He opened the door and pushed Herne inside. 'Say goodbye, Ace, and get in the back.'

'Goodbye, Bat, I'll always remember you.'

'And I ... you, Ace. You are . .. always with me. Goodbye!’ Bat rejoined the remainder of her herd. The Doctor started engine as Ace got in.

'Let's hit the road.'

The Doctor turned the car round and then reversed so that he could have a good run at the gates. He put his foot down on the accelerator.

'Urn, Doctor, did you bother to …' Ace was jarred by the

impact and the gates flew open. '…

check whether the gates were locked?'

Old Davy looked up from his book and struggled to his feet to look down the road towards Emrys's place. He'd heard the explosion earlier and now there was a car coming, It was a small, dark blue Astra which pulled to a halt alongside the police box. Ace climbed out of the back and went round to the driver' door.

'Are you sure you're all right, Doctor?' She sounded concerned.

'It's the TARDIS,' he answered, 'she's dying. No energy.' He struggled out of the car and looked across the road-junction at Old Davy.

'Siwt mai, Doctor?' Davy called.

'I need your help, Old Davy.'

Davy strolled across. 'What can I do for you, Doctor?'

'Help me carry this chap into the TARDIS.' Old Davy looked into the car and saw a faintly luminescent figure sitting there. His brow knitted as strange thoughts crossed his mind. 'Right you are, Doctor.' Together, they supported Herne whilst the Doctor fumbled with the door of the police box.

Ace stood behind them and wondered why the Doctor allowed Davy to help with Herne when she had already offered. Didn't he trust her to manage the job?

Inside the TARDIS looked awful. Its walls were dull and grey, drained of the vibrant light which had always suffused them. The roundels set into the walls were covered with hairline cracks and the central hexagonal console looked battered and worn as though centuries of erosion were working upon it. The a ltered light lent a ghastly pallor to the Doctor's face as he and Davy struggled in with Herne.

'Is this because of those block transfer computations?' asked Ace, looking around at the damage.

'Partly. The regulatory equations have lost their power, they aren't maintaining the structure any more,' said the Doctor. He dropped Herne into the wicker chair and went to close the door. 'But it's worse than that. The TARDIS is dying. Everything needs energy. The TARDIS gets her energy from the Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey.'

'But that's ...'

'Duw mawr!' said Old Davy. In his astonishment, his fingers grew slack and let slip the book he had been reading. 'Never in all my life have I ...' A look of pain crossed his face. His shocked eyes turned towards Herne and there was a glimmer of recognition. 'I ...'

Ace picked up the book from where it had fallen and almost laughed at the title and the connection it made in her head: It had been immediately obvious to her that the Ceffyl were like unicorns, the Firbolg like centaurs and even, to an extent, that the Fomoir were similar to the trolls of old European legends; the Doctor's explanation of Goibhnie's experiment made the reasons for all that clear. When she had seen the representations