Doctor Who_ Enlightenment - Barbara Clegg [41]
But Marriner did not give up easily. ‘I need you – I need you –’ he called, stretching out his arms to her. ‘I need you... need you...’ the calls slowly died away into echoes as he and his Captain faded from view. The last glimmer of them was of Marriner’s hand, stretched out towards her.
‘There was nothing we could do,’ the Doctor said quietly.
Then the White Guardian spoke. ‘You were right, Doctor, in judging no one fit to claim all Enlightenment.’
His voice suddenly became much more businesslike, – in fact he sounded rather like the Chairman of a large company. ‘I can, however, allocate a share,’ he said, and looked at Turlough. ‘To you.’ Turlough gaped. ‘Me?’ His voice was bewildered.
The White Guardian surveyed him, assessing him. ‘You assisted in bringing the ship to harbour,’ he announced, and he slowly raised the cover of the glass dome. The light that blazed out was positively blinding, and everyone involuntarily shaded their eyes. Then, slowly as the glare subsided, they could see what lay there! It was a huge diamond, every facet winking with rainbow colours.
Turlough stepped forward and looked at it covetously and there was wonder in his voice. ‘That size! It’d buy a galaxy.’ He shot the White Guardian a look of naked greed.
‘You mean – I can have that?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ was the solemn reply.
But just as he was reaching out a hand, the Black Guardian spoke. ‘Although, I think I should point out, that in view of the agreement we have I could claim it.’
‘This whole thing has become more like a boardroom meeting than ever,’ Tegan thought hysterically. But the Black Guardian was going on. ‘Unless, of course, you wish to surrender something else in its place.’ He looked at the Doctor. So did Turlough. He still had not quite got the point, and the Doctor gave him no help, simply stared impassively ahead.
‘The Doctor is in debt to you. For his life,’ the Black Guardian continued suavely. And as though addressing a major shareholder, he leaned towards Turlough and said persuasively, ‘Give me the Doctor, and you shall have the diamond. You may have the TARDIS as well – anything you wish,’ and he waved his hand in an all-encompassing gesture.
Turlough began to imagine what he would do with a gem that size. He could buy anything he wanted. People would listen to him. They would look at him admiringly.
They would crawl to him. Nobody would ever bully him again; He would have power.
‘Consider, Turlough,’ the White Guardian’s voice broke in on his thoughts. ‘Which will you give up – this diamond
– or the Doctor? The choice is yours.’
He moved the dome towards Turlough.
Nobody would push him around. Nobody would frighten him! He would show them! He was as good as any of them. Turlough had decided. He glanced at the Doctor to see how he was going to take it. The Doctor was simply looking gravely into the middle distance. With that infuriatingly kind expression. Turlough would have liked to kick it in. He hated the Doctor. And then an awful realisation struck him. He had to hate the Doctor. He had to make himself. He had known that all along. Otherwise he would never be able to do it. And then what would happen to him! He must not weaken. He must think of himself – look after himself – nobody else would! This was his moment. And then he looked at the Doctor again, and the truth was unavoidable. He liked the Doctor. He admired him. And he would have died rather than go through with it.
‘Here! Take it!’ Turlough burst out. And he gave the dome and diamond a great shove across the table. The push was so violent, that it was toppling as it slid, and when it arrived at its destination it tipped over completely and crashed. The dome shattered and a blaze of light shone up into the Black Guardian’s face.
For a horrible moment he writhed and twisted, then burst into flames. He seemed to contort and dissolve in the heat like a photographic negative. There was a stunned silence, and then the White Guardian got to his feet.
‘Light destroys the dark,’ he said, as though simply