Doctor Who_ Daemons - Barry Letts [65]
'Or its destruction...' agreed Azal, looking at the Doctor as if he were seeing him properly for the first time.
The Master leaned across the Stone of Sacrifice towards the Dæmon. 'Then fulfil your mission by granting the ultimate power to me,' he said eagerly. 'Who else can give these humans the strong leadership they need?'
'I seem to remember hearing someone else talking like that,' said the Doctor, rubbing his chin. 'Now, who was it ? Oh yes, of course, that bounder Hitler, Adolf Hitler... Or was it Genghis Khan?'
'I have the will,' went on the Master, ignoring the Doctor's interruption, 'you yourself have said it.'
'I am still not convinced.'
'I'm very pleased to hear it,' said the Doctor. Again Azal looked at the Doctor with interest.
'Why?' he boomed, 'do you wish to see this planet destroyed? That is the only possible alternative.'
'I don't agree,' answered the Doctor. 'I have yet another choice to suggest.'
'State it.'
'Leave humanity alone. Just go. You have done enough harm.'
'Harm?' said Azal. 'The Dæmons gave knowledge to man.'
'You certainly did,' said the Doctor, scornfully.
Azal looked puzzled. 'Without the gifts of the Dæmons, man would have remained an animal, living in caves, scavenging all day for enough food to stay alive in misery. Is this what you would desire?'
'Without the gifts of the Dæmons,' retorted the Doctor, 'man would have had a chance to develop at his own pace; a chance to develop the wisdom to control his knowledge. But thanks to you, he can now blow up the world; and he probably will. He can poison his rivers, his land and the very air he breathes with the filthy by-products of this “knowledge”. He's started already... he can—'
'Enough!' The Dæmon's voice, She a great organ, reverberated round the Cavern. 'Is man such a failure then? Shall I destroy him?'
Before the Doctor could reply, the Master jumped in. 'No!' he said passionately. 'The right leader can force him to learn.'
The Daemon closed his eyes. His head was thrown back and he was still. Nobody moved. At length, he gave a great sigh, like the wind off the sea blowing through a forest. 'You are right,' he said. 'I have decided. I shall pass on my power.'
The Master stood upright, seeming to grow twice the the size. 'Mighty Azal, I thank you.'
'But not to you,' continued the Dæmon dispassionately. 'To him...' and he nodded towards the Doctor.
Jo Grant gasped and looked at the Doctor. He was so taken aback by this unexpected turn of events that for a moment he was quite speechless. At last he found his voice.
'No! No! I don't want it!'
Astonishment at the Doctor's reaction lent uncertainty to Azal's voice. 'You refuse my gift? I offer you the world and you refuse it?'
'Of course I do.'
'But... why?'
'Don't you understand? I want you to leave. I want you to go away and give man a chance to grow up.'
'If man is a failure, he must be destroyed.'
'No, no, no' said the Doctor, intensely willing the Damon to understand. 'At last it looks as if the people of Earth are beginning to see that they have come very near to killing their own planet. But there can't be a magical solution. They've got to find the answer for themselves.'
'And you would have me leave, my mission uncompleted?'
'Yes. Please go. Back to your own world.'
Azal considered in silence. Then he spoke once more, as coldly and unemotionally as ever.
'I cannot agree. My instructions are precise. I bequeath my power or I destroy all.'
Jo held her breath and clutched the Doctor's arm. Was this to be the end of the world? Here and now?
'So,' said the Master softly, fearful of provoking Azal's wrath. 'You will give your power to me, after all.'
The Dæmon looked at him with something like distaste. 'I shall,' he said after a reluctant pause. 'My time is short.'
The Master struggled to suppress his glee. 'And... what about him ?'
Once more the note of astonishment and incredulity crept back into Azal's voice, 'He is not rational,' he said, 'he is disruptive. He must be eliminated.' He raised his hand and pointed at the Doctor.