Doctor Who_ Daemons - Barry Letts [59]
'The tunnel's gone,' said Osgood, mournfully, in the ensuing silence.
' Brigadier! Are you all right? ' It was the Doctor's voice again ' What was that noise? '
' The machine. It's gone west. Blown itself up. Still, at least we're the other side of the barrier. Be with you right away. Out. '
'And a fat lot of good that'll do,' said the Doctor as he handed the walkie-talkie back to Benton .
On the churchyard wall Bok, who had come to the point of collapse while the energy exchanger was working, now was slowly recovering.
The Doctor eyed him and said, 'I'm going in, before that creature recovers.'
'But you can't go in now,' protested Miss Hawthorne, 'not without some sort of protection. Why, you said yourself it would be suicide.'
'Keep the rest back,' said the Doctor to Mike Yates, as if Miss Hawthorne had said nothing.
'But, Doctor, don't you think...' began Yates. But the Doctor had gone, sprinting past the still bemused Bok towards the church. As he reached the vestry door, the stone imp whirled and pointed. The ball of flame flew through the air to end as a spectacular Guy Fawkes explosion against the door as it closed behind the Doctor.
Miss Hawthorne gazed after him. Her eyes filled with tears. 'Good-bye, Doctor...' she murmured.
When Jo Grant was brought back into the Cavern by the two men who had dragged her screaming away, Stan Wilkins knew at once that the young man addressed as 'Captain Yates' by the Master had not yet managed to make his escape. If he had, it could not fail to have been noticed by the guardians of the girl. They would have raised an immediate alarm. He must be still unconscious. Or perhaps those knots weren't loose enough.. Stan's attention was caught by the sight of the poor girl's stricken face, eyes big with fear, her cheeks as white as the ceremonial robe she was wearing over her own clothes. No longer struggling, she dumbly allowed herself to be led forward and be presented to the Master, who stood waiting for her by the Stone of Sacrifice.
'Why, Miss Grant,' he said, giving a courteous bow. 'How very good of you to join our little ceremony.'
Jo looked at him with as much defiance as she could muster. 'The Doctor will come. You'll see,' she said.
'I hope he will. I shall be able to... ah... kill two birds with one stone.'
Jo shuddered.
'Not a very happy metaphor, I agree. But appropriate, you must admit.'
'Why don't you just get on with it?'
'What a very good suggestion. Thank you, my dear.' The Master turned back to the Stone of Sacrifice, looked up at the cruel unfeeling face of Azal and spoke in the ceremonial tones of invocation. 'As my will, so mote it be.'
'As thy will, so mote it be,' echoed the coven, continuing, 'Io Evohe... Io Evohe...'
'Psst...' hissed Stan to his next door neighbour in the circle. It happened to Mr. Ashby, who kept the shop. 'What is it?' he answered, out of the comer of his mouth. 'He's not really going to... to sacrifice her, is he?' Stan asked under cover of the general chanting.
'Looks like it.'
'But why?'
'To get power, of course; power to control... him,' and Mr. Ashby nodded towards the Dæmon.
'We've got to stop it,' said Stan, his fear lending urgency to his voice.
'Yes? You feel like trying?'
'But—'
'Shut up. boy, or you'll have the both of us going the same way.' Mr. Ashby resumed chanting along with the same others and wouldn't even let Stan catch his eye.
While the rest of the coven had been keeping up the monotonous repetition of 'Io Evohe' the Master had recited a Litany of Hate and of Power directed at the Dæmon.
' ... Prince of Evil; Prince of Fire;
Keeper of the Keys of Hell; Bearer of the Sword;
Hearken to my voice;
Hearken to my will. '
Turning to his chanting acolytes, he raised a hand. They fell silent.
'To do my will shall be the whole of the Law,' he intoned.
'To do thy will shall be the whole of the Law,' they repeated.'Io Evohe! Io Evohe!'
'Bring the girl,' ordered the Master, pointing to the Stone of Sacrifice. The two who were holding her by the arms started